CVE-2023-6021
Path Traversal in Ray Project Ray
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:NCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2023-6021 is a high-severity Path Traversal: '\..\filename' (CWE-29) vulnerability in Ray Project Ray. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 2% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2023-6021 is a local file inclusion vulnerability in the log API endpoint of Ray, an open-source distributed computing framework. The flaw stems from improper input validation that permits path traversal, allowing unauthenticated remote access to arbitrary files on the underlying server. It is tracked under CWE-22 and CWE-29 and carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 reflecting network attack vector, low complexity, and high confidentiality impact without any required credentials.
An attacker with network access to the Ray log endpoint can supply crafted requests to retrieve sensitive files such as configuration data, credentials, or source code. No authentication or user interaction is needed, enabling straightforward information disclosure that could facilitate further compromise of the host or connected systems.
The maintainers state that the issue is resolved in Ray version 2.8.1 and later; their detailed response and guidance are published at the referenced Anyscale advisory. The associated EPSS score stands at 0.8732 with an identical recorded peak, indicating sustained high exploitation probability since disclosure.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-2864
Vulnerability Data
LFI in Ray's log API endpoint allows attackers to read any file on the server without authentication. The issue is fixed in version 2.8.1+. Ray maintainers' response can be found here: https://www.anyscale.com/blog/update-on-ray-cves-cve-2023-6019-cve-2023-6020-cve-2023-6021-cve-2023-48022-cve-2023-48023
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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V5.3.2
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Validates pathnames and filenames to prevent traversal outside intended directories.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure SDLC practices directly require input validation and path sanitization that block this traversal vector.
Patching/maintenance can remediate known path-traversal flaws in deployed software (partial prevention of exploitability) but does nothing to stop the coding defect from being introduced in the first place.
PR.AA-05 defines and reviews access policies but does not address code-level pathname neutralization, so neither direction prevents CWE-22.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing can discover path-traversal flaws but does not itself prevent them in production code.
Secure SDLC mandates input validation and path sanitization that directly prevent path traversal.
Application security requirements can mandate input validation and path canonicalization to block traversal sequences.
Secure architecture principles include directory sandboxing and safe file-access design that mitigate path traversal.
Secure coding standards directly require neutralizing path traversal sequences such as '\..\filename'.
Information access restriction limits which files an application may read or write.