CVE-2025-27098
Path Traversal in The-Guild Graphql Mesh Cli 0.78.0 – 0.82.22
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:LCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2025-27098 is a medium-severity Path Traversal (CWE-22) vulnerability in The-Guild Graphql Mesh Cli. Its CVSS base score is 5.8 (Medium).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked at the 28th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
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-2025-27098 is a path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22) in GraphQL Mesh, an open-source GraphQL Federation framework and gateway that integrates GraphQL and non-GraphQL services like REST, gRPC, and databases such as MongoDB, MySQL, and PostgreSQL. The issue resides in the static file handler when the `staticFiles` option is enabled in the `serve` configuration settings. This handler fails to verify whether an `absolutePath` remains within the designated static files directory, enabling unauthorized access to arbitrary files on the server's file system.
Any unauthenticated client (PR:N) with network access (AV:N) can exploit this vulnerability, though it requires high attack complexity (AC:H) and user interaction (UI:R), such as tricking a user into requesting a malicious path. Successful exploitation allows limited access to sensitive files (C:L), minor modifications (I:L), and low disruption (A:L), with a scope change (S:C) that may affect dependent components. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.8 (Medium severity).
The GitHub security advisory (GHSA-j2wh-wrv3-4x4g) recommends two mitigations: update `@graphql-mesh/cli` to version 0.82.22 or higher and `@graphql-mesh/http` to 0.3.19 or higher, or remove the `staticFiles` option from the configuration and use alternative methods to serve static assets.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-0727
Vulnerability Data
GraphQL Mesh is a GraphQL Federation framework and gateway for both GraphQL Federation and non-GraphQL Federation subgraphs, non-GraphQL services, such as REST and gRPC, and also databases such as MongoDB, MySQL, and PostgreSQL. Missing check vulnerability in the static file…
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handler allows any client to access the files in the server's file system. When `staticFiles` is set in the `serve` settings in the configuration file, the following handler doesn't check if `absolutePath` is still under the directory provided as `staticFiles`. Users have two options to fix vulnerability; 1. Update `@graphql-mesh/cli` to a version higher than `0.82.21`, and if you use `@graphql-mesh/http`, update it to a version higher than `0.3.18` 2. Remove `staticFiles` option from the configuration, and use other solutions to serve static files.
- 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
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Enforces the intended directory access authorizations that path traversal would otherwise bypass.
Input validation directly neutralizes special path elements before pathname construction occurs.
Least privilege reduces the impact of any unauthorized file access obtained via traversal.
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.
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 in development catches path traversal via static/dynamic analysis.
Secure SDLC mandates input validation and path sanitization that directly prevent path traversal.
Application security requirements include rules for safe file handling and canonicalization.
Secure architecture principles require least-privilege file access and directory isolation.
Secure coding standards explicitly forbid unsafe path construction and mandate safe APIs.
Information access restriction limits which files an application may read or write.