CVE-2026-32147
Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in Erlang OTP ssh (ssh_sftpd module) allows an authenticated SFTP user to modify file attributes outside the configured chroot directory.
Does this matter?
Lower severity and a low EPSS score (0.35%). Track it; it rarely justifies an emergency change on its own.
Description
Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in Erlang OTP ssh (ssh_sftpd module) allows an authenticated SFTP user to modify file attributes outside the configured chroot directory. The SFTP daemon (ssh_sftpd) stores the raw, user-supplied path in file handles instead of the chroot-resolved path. When SSH_FXP_FSETSTAT is issued on such a handle, file attributes (permissions, ownership, timestamps) are modified on the real filesystem path, bypassing the root directory boundary entirely. Any authenticated SFTP user on a server configured with the root option can modify file attributes of files outside the intended chroot boundary. The prerequisite is that a target file must exist on the real filesystem at the same relative path. Note that this vulnerability only allows modification of file attributes; file contents cannot be read or altered through this attack vector. If the SSH daemon runs as root, this enables direct privilege escalation: an attacker can set the setuid bit on any binary, change ownership of sensitive files, or make system configuration world-writable. This vulnerability is associated with program files lib/ssh/src/ssh_sftpd.erl and program routines ssh_sftpd:do_open/4 and ssh_sftpd:handle_op/4. This issue affects OTP from OTP 17.0 before OTP 28.4.3, OTP 27.3.4.11 and OTP 26.2.5.20, corresponding to ssh from 3.0.1 before 5.5.3, 5.2.11.7 and 5.1.4.15.
- CVSS 4.0
- 5.3 MEDIUMCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:L/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/M
- EPSS
- 0.35% probability · 29th percentile
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-22
- Affected
- erlang/erlang\/otp · erlang/erlang\/ssh
- Source
- 6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49db
References
- https://cna.erlef.org/cves/CVE-2026-32147.htmlVendor Advisory
- https://github.com/erlang/otp/commit/28c5d5a6c5f873dc701b597276271763e7d1c004Patch
- https://github.com/erlang/otp/security/advisories/GHSA-28jg-mw9x-hpm5Vendor Advisory
- https://osv.dev/vulnerability/EEF-CVE-2026-32147Third Party Advisory
- https://www.erlang.org/doc/system/versions.html#order-of-versionsProduct
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA. Refreshed daily.