Path traversal in encode Starlette
Priority HIGH 72CWE-22Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Information disclosure
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · None · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-22 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
Directory traversal vulnerability in Starlette versions 0.13.5 and later and prior to 0.27.0 allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to view files in a web service which was built using Starlette.
Why it matters now
Exploitation Proof of concept CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.02593 85th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Public exploit Yes 1 exploit referenceTagged by NVD
Fix Fixed starlette (PyPI): 0.27.0
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| encode | Starlette | versions 0.13.5 and later and prior to 0.27.0 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
| — | starlette (PyPI) | 0.13.5 to before 0.27.0 | 0.27.0 | Patch available | GHSA-v5gw-mw7f-84px |
- Starlette Vendorencode Affected versions 0.13.5 and later and prior to 0.27.0 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
- starlette (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 0.13.5 to before 0.27.0 Fixed in 0.27.0 Patch available GHSA-v5gw-mw7f-84px
Remediation
- Fix · GHSA-v5gw-mw7f-84px starlette (PyPI) Fixed in 0.27.0 Advisory →
Vendor assessments
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-29159
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-v5gw-mw7f-84px
References
Other 6
- https://github.com/encode/starlette/releases/tag/0.27.0
- https://github.com/encode/starlette/commit/1797de464124b090f10cf570441e8292936d63e3
- https://github.com/encode/starlette
- https://github.com/encode/starlette/blob/4bab981d9e870f6cee1bd4cd59b87ddaf355b2dc/starlette/staticfiles.py#L172-L174
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/starlette/PYSEC-2023-83.yaml
- https://jvn.jp/en/jp/JVN95981715
More encode Starlette vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-35991 Starlette has missing Host header validation that poisons request.url.path, bypassing path-based security checks KEVCVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.5
- TI-2023-14608 MultipartParser DOS with too many fields or files in Starlette Framework CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2026-39183 Starlette: request.form() limits silently ignored for application/x-www-form-urlencoded enable DoS CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2026-36087 Starlette: SSRF and NTLM credential theft via UNC paths in StaticFiles on Windows CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2026-36086 Starlette: Arbitrary HTTP method dispatched to `HTTPEndpoint` attributes via `getattr` CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.3
- TI-2026-39182 Starlette: Unvalidated request path concatenated into authority poisons request.url.hostname CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.3
Sources
- CVE-2023-29159 · CVE Program
- CVE-2023-29159 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-v5gw-mw7f-84px · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2023-29159 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences