HighPublic exploit

Zip Slip / partial path traversal in HL7 FHIR Core Libraries package decompression

IdentifiersCVE-2023-28465CWE-22· Improper Limitation of a Pathname…

CVE-2023-28465 affects the package-decompression feature in HL7 FHIR Core Libraries (org.hl7.fhir.core) before version 5.6.106. The flaw is a Zip Slip-style directory traversal issue in the extraction logic, described as an incomplete fix for CVE-2023-24057. The vulnerable path validation allows archive entries to be written outside the intended cache directory when the protection relies on an allowed directory name being a substring match of an attacker-controlled destination path. As a result, a crafted ZIP archive can bypass prior extraction safeguards in the TerminologyCacheManager and escape the intended extraction location into adjacent directories.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation allows an attacker to perform unauthorized file writes outside the intended cache directory during ZIP extraction. Based on the available information, the write primitive is limited to certain sibling or adjacent directories rather than arbitrary filesystem-wide overwrite. The security impact depends on what files or locations are reachable from the affected process context, but can include tampering with application data, planting files in unintended locations, and potentially enabling follow-on compromise if written files are later consumed by the application or other components.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

If immediate upgrade is not possible, do not process untrusted ZIP/package inputs with the vulnerable decompression feature. Add compensating controls around archive extraction by canonicalizing both the base directory and each resolved output path, then enforcing containment with robust path comparison such as java.nio.file.Path#startsWith. Reject any archive entry whose resolved path falls outside the intended extraction root. Restrict filesystem permissions of the running process to minimize the impact of unauthorized writes.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Upgrade affected HL7 FHIR Core Libraries to version 5.6.106 or later. The advisory indicates the fix uses robust base-directory enforcement with canonicalized paths and java.nio.file.Path#startsWith to ensure extracted entries remain within the intended destination directory.

PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No valid public exploits. Mallory filtered out 1 candidate as fakes, detection scripts, or README-only repos.

VALID 0 / 1 TOTALView more in app

All candidate exploits were filtered out by Mallory's validation.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType

HAPI FHIRHl7 Fhir Coreapplication

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

1 sources tracked across advisories and community write-ups. News coverage will land here when it surfaces.

1 SOURCESView more in app

No news coverage yet. Advisories and community discussion only.

What this page doesn’t show

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Exposure mapping

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Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity1

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.

EXTERNAL REFERENCES

MITRE CVE

cve.org · CVE-2023-28465

NVD

nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-28465

MITRE CWE · CWE-22

Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a…

Third Party Advisory

github.com/advisories/GHSA-9654-pr4f-gh6m

Zip Slip / partial path traversal in HL7 FHIR Core Libraries package decompression

IdentifiersCVE-2023-28465CWE-22· Improper Limitation of a Pathname…