CVE-2020-37214: Voyager Path Traversal Vulnerability

CVE-2020-37214 Overview

CVE-2020-37214 is a directory traversal vulnerability affecting Voyager 1.3.0, a popular Laravel admin package. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to access sensitive system files by manipulating the asset path parameter in the /admin/voyager-assets endpoint. By exploiting this flaw, attackers can read arbitrary files from the server including /etc/passwd and .env configuration files, potentially exposing database credentials, API keys, and other sensitive information.

Critical Impact

Attackers can read arbitrary files from the server without authentication, potentially exposing sensitive configuration data, credentials, and system information.

Affected Products

• Voyager 1.3.0
• Laravel applications using vulnerable Voyager versions
• Web servers hosting Voyager-based admin panels

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-11 - CVE CVE-2020-37214 published to NVD
• 2026-02-12 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2020-37214

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory), commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal. The flaw exists in how Voyager handles the asset path parameter within the /admin/voyager-assets route. When processing asset requests, the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input, allowing attackers to use directory traversal sequences (such as ../) to escape the intended directory and access files anywhere on the filesystem that the web server process has permission to read.

The attack can be executed remotely over the network with no authentication required and no user interaction needed. An attacker simply needs to craft a malicious HTTP request containing path traversal sequences to retrieve sensitive files from the target server.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in insufficient input validation and sanitization of the path parameter in the Voyager assets controller. The application does not adequately filter or reject directory traversal sequences before using the supplied path to retrieve files. This allows malicious input containing sequences like ../ to traverse up the directory structure and access files outside the intended asset directory.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires no authentication or special privileges. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted HTTP requests to the /admin/voyager-assets endpoint. The malicious request includes path traversal sequences (e.g., ../../../etc/passwd) in the asset path parameter. When processed by the vulnerable Voyager installation, the server returns the contents of the requested file rather than a legitimate asset file.

Common targets for exploitation include:

• /etc/passwd for user enumeration
• .env files containing application secrets, database credentials, and API keys
• Configuration files with sensitive application settings
• Log files that may contain sensitive information

For technical details and proof-of-concept information, see Exploit-DB #47875 and the VulnCheck Voyager Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2020-37214

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests to /admin/voyager-assets containing ../ sequences
• Abnormal access patterns to the Voyager assets endpoint from external IP addresses
• Web server logs showing requests for system files like /etc/passwd or .env
• Error logs indicating file access attempts outside the expected asset directories

Detection Strategies

• Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block path traversal patterns in URL parameters
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) to alert on requests containing directory traversal sequences targeting Voyager endpoints
• Enable detailed logging for the /admin/voyager-assets route and monitor for suspicious patterns
• Deploy SentinelOne Singularity Platform for real-time detection of exploitation attempts and suspicious file access patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor web server access logs for requests to /admin/voyager-assets with encoded or unencoded traversal sequences
• Set up alerts for any access to sensitive system files from web application processes
• Review application logs regularly for failed or successful file access attempts outside normal directories
• Implement file integrity monitoring on critical configuration files like .env

How to Mitigate CVE-2020-37214

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Voyager to a patched version that addresses the path traversal vulnerability
• Implement web application firewall rules to block requests containing path traversal sequences
• Restrict access to the /admin/voyager-assets endpoint using IP whitelisting or authentication requirements
• Review server logs for any evidence of exploitation attempts

Patch Information

Users should update to a patched version of Voyager. Refer to the official GitHub Voyager Release v1.2.7 and GitHub Voyager Release v1.3.0 for release information and version details. Visit the Voyager Official Website for the latest security updates and recommended upgrade paths.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation middleware to reject any requests containing ../ or URL-encoded variants in the path parameter
• Configure web server rules (Apache mod_rewrite or Nginx location blocks) to deny access to requests with traversal patterns
• Move sensitive configuration files outside the web root where possible
• Apply the principle of least privilege to the web server process to limit accessible files

# Nginx configuration to block path traversal attempts
location /admin/voyager-assets {
    if ($request_uri ~* "\.\.") {
        return 403;
    }
}