CVE-2017-9067: Modx/revolution Path Traversal Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-cgrv-6h2h-6f7v
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CVSS 7.0
CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2017-9067 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.0) path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) affecting Modx/revolution libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves modx revolution directory traversal vulnerability. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.5.7.

CVE-2017-9067 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2017-9067
GHSA Identifier GHSA-cgrv-6h2h-6f7v
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.0
CWE Classification CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Affected Product Modx/revolution
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.0

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Local (AV:L)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2017-9067

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Modx/revolution dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

modx/revolution fixed: 2.5.7 
Upgrade modx/revolution to 2.5.7
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for modx/revolution

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2017-9067, inspect your project dependencies for Modx/revolution:

inspect dependencies for modx/revolution

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Modx/revolution in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.5.7), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal'), where the product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. In Modx/revolution, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

In MODX Revolution before 2.5.7, when PHP 5.3.3 is used, an attacker is able to include and execute arbitrary files on the web server due to insufficient validation of the action parameter to setup/index.php, aka directory traversal.

CVE-2017-9067 Affected Modx/revolution Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.5.7
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
modx/revolution
 Packagist
< 2.5.7
2.5.7

References

NVD — CVE-2017-9067 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-9067
Modx/revolution Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/modxcms/revolution/pull/13422
Modx/revolution Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/modxcms/revolution/pull/13428
citadelo.com/en/2017/04/modx-rev... WEB
https://citadelo.com/en/2017/04/modx-revolution-cms
Modx/revolution Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/modxcms/revolution

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-9067?
CVE-2017-9067 is a security vulnerability in Modx/revolution involving MODX Revolution Directory Traversal Vulnerability under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal').
Which Modx/revolution versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.5.7 across affected packages: modx/revolution.
What version fixes CVE-2017-9067?
Upgrading to 2.5.7 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is modx/revolution affected?
Yes, modx/revolution is affected in releases prior to 2.5.7. Upgrade your dependency to 2.5.7 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2017-9067?
CVE-2017-9067 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.0 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2017-9067?
CVE-2017-9067 is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') (The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2017-9067?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for modx/revolution'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-cgrv-6h2h-6f7v",
  "modified" : "2025-04-22T18:42:58Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-17T02:43:12Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2017-9067" ],
  "summary" : "MODX Revolution Directory Traversal Vulnerability",
  "details" : "In MODX Revolution before 2.5.7, when PHP 5.3.3 is used, an attacker is able to include and execute arbitrary files on the web server due to insufficient validation of the action parameter to setup/index.php, aka directory traversal.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "modx/revolution"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.5.7"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-9067"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/modxcms/revolution/pull/13422"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/modxcms/revolution/pull/13428"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://citadelo.com/en/2017/04/modx-revolution-cms"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/modxcms/revolution"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2025-04-22T18:42:58Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2017-05-18T16:29:00Z"
  }
}