CVE-2023-27577 | Path Traversal Vulnerability in `LESS` Parser allows reading of sensitive server files in flarum

flarum is a forum software package for building communities. In versions prior to 1.7.0 an admin account which has already been compromised by an attacker may use a vulnerability in the `LESS` parser which can be exploited to read sensitive files on the server through the use of path traversal techniques. An attacker can achieve this by providing an absolute path to a sensitive file in the custom `LESS` setting, which the `LESS` parser will then read. For example, an attacker could use the following code to read the contents of the `/etc/passwd` file on a linux machine. The scope of what files are vulnerable will depend on the permissions given to the running flarum process. The vulnerability has been addressed in version `1.7`. Users should upgrade to this version to mitigate the vulnerability. Users unable to upgrade may mitigate the vulnerability by ensuring that their admin accounts are secured with strong passwords and follow other best practices for account security. Additionally, users can limit the exposure of sensitive files on the server by implementing appropriate file permissions and access controls at the operating system level.

Published: 2023-03-10 Last update: 2026-06-17 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2023-27577 is rated Moderate Risk (45.1/100): CVSS Medium severity, with medium exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.85%). Mandatory action: Review affected assets and schedule remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2023-27577

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-16 0.84% 0.85% +0.01%
2 2026-06-15 0.12% 0.84% +0.72%
3 2026-05-22 0.12%

Full EPSS history (14 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2023-27577

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
6.6 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:H)
They need powerful rights—admin, root, or similar—before this pays off.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:C)
Breaking this can reach past the original component and bite other resources—bigger blast radius.
Confidentiality (C:L)
Some sensitive info could get out, but not a total data dump.
Integrity (I:L)
Attackers could change some data, but it’s limited—not everything goes.
Availability (A:L)
Might cause slowdowns, glitches, or partial disruption—not a full brick.
2.3 3.7 [email protected]
4.9 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:H)
They need powerful rights—admin, root, or similar—before this pays off.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:N)
Data isn’t meaningfully altered or forged.
Availability (A:N)
Service keeps running; no real outage angle.
1.2 3.6 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2023-27577

GitHub Security Advisory for CVE-2023-27577

GHSA-vhm8-wwrf-3gcw · Severity: medium · Ecosystem: composer — Path Traversal Vulnerability in `LESS` Parser allows reading of sensitive server files

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2023-27577

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
flarum flarum < 1.7.0 cpe:2.3:a:flarum:flarum:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2023-27577

cvelogic Threat Intelligence