OpenMRS Core arbitrary file write and code execution via Zip Slip in module upload
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- None
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub.
Summary
OpenMRS Core is an open source electronic medical record system platform. In versions 2.7.8 and earlier and versions 2.8.0 through 2.8.5, the module upload endpoint at POST `/openmrs/ws/rest/v1/module` is vulnerable to a Zip Slip path traversal attack. During automatic extraction of uploaded .omod archives in `WebModuleUtil.startModule()`, ZIP entries under web/module/ are checked only to see whether the full entry path starts with `..,` and the remaining path is then concatenated into the destination path without normalization or a boundary check. A crafted archive can therefore include entries such as `web/module/../../../../malicious.jsp` and cause files to be written outside the intended module directory. An authenticated attacker with module upload access can write arbitrary files to locations such as the web application root and achieve remote code execution by uploading a JSP file and then requesting it. The issue is compounded by the fact that the module.allow_web_admin runtime property is enforced in the legacy UI controller but not in the REST API upload path, so deployments relying on that property to block web-based module administration remain exposed through the REST endpoint. This issue has been fixed in versions after 2.7.8 in the 2.7.x line and in version 2.8.6 and later.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenMRS | openmrs-core | up to 2.7.8; 2.8.0 – 2.8.5 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
| — | org.openmrs.web:openmrs-web (Maven) | up to 2.7.8 | — | No fix listed | GHSA-78fc-9688-w8xw |
| — | org.openmrs.web:openmrs-web (Maven) | 2.8.0 – 2.8.5 | — | No fix listed | GHSA-78fc-9688-w8xw |
- openmrs-core VendorOpenMRS Affected up to 2.7.8; 2.8.0 – 2.8.5 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
- org.openmrs.web:openmrs-web (Maven) Vendor— Affected up to 2.7.8 Fixed in — No fix listed GHSA-78fc-9688-w8xw
- org.openmrs.web:openmrs-web (Maven) Vendor— Affected 2.8.0 – 2.8.5 Fixed in — No fix listed GHSA-78fc-9688-w8xw
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-40076
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-78fc-9688-w8xw
References
More Openmrs vulnerabilities
- TI-2018-13666 OpenMRS before 2.24.0 is affected by an Insecure Object Deserialization vulnerability… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-28906 OpenMRS Core arbitrary file read via path traversal in ModuleResourcesServlet CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.2
- TI-2022-07665 Directory Traversal in OpenMRS Startup Filter CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2025-19183 A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) in the component /admin/users/user.form of Openmrs… CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.0
- TI-2025-19182 A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) in Openmrs 2.4.3 Build 0ff0ed allows attackers to… CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.8
- TI-2025-19184 A reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the component… CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.4
Sources
- CVE-2026-40076 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-40076 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-78fc-9688-w8xw · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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