CVE-2025-3043: PersonManage Path Traversal Vulnerability

CVE-2025-3043 Overview

CVE-2025-3043 is a path traversal vulnerability [CWE-22] affecting GuoMinJim PersonManage 1.0. The flaw resides in the preHandle function of the /login/ endpoint. Attackers can manipulate the Request argument to traverse outside intended directory boundaries. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely without authentication or user interaction. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the likelihood of opportunistic exploitation. Because PersonManage uses a rolling release model, specific fixed version identifiers are not published by the maintainer.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can read files outside the web root by manipulating request paths handled by the preHandle interceptor.

Affected Products

GuoMinJim PersonManage 1.0
PersonManage rolling release builds prior to remediation
Deployments exposing the /login/ endpoint to untrusted networks

Discovery Timeline

2025-04-01 - CVE-2025-3043 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-3043

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a classic path traversal issue in the request preprocessing logic of PersonManage. When the application processes requests targeting /login/, the preHandle interceptor extracts a path component from the incoming Request object. The code fails to canonicalize or validate the extracted path before using it in file system operations. Attackers can inject relative path sequences such as ../ to escape the intended directory. Successful exploitation allows retrieval of sensitive files that the application process can read, including configuration files, source artifacts, or credential material. The attack requires no authentication and can be initiated across the network.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing input sanitization in the preHandle method. User-supplied path segments flow into file resolution logic without normalization against a trusted base directory. Reference the GitHub Issue Detail for the maintainer discussion.

Attack Vector

An attacker crafts an HTTP request to the /login/ route containing directory traversal sequences in a path parameter. The preHandle interceptor resolves the path relative to the application root, dereferencing arbitrary files on the server. No credentials or user interaction are required. See the VulDB entry #302105 for additional exploitation context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-3043

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to /login/ containing ../, ..\, or URL-encoded variants such as %2e%2e%2f
Access log entries showing repeated 200 responses to /login/ with abnormal path parameters
Application error logs referencing file read operations outside the deployment directory

Detection Strategies

Deploy web application firewall rules that flag traversal patterns in query strings and request bodies targeting the /login/ endpoint
Correlate access logs with file system audit events to identify unexpected reads of configuration or credential files
Baseline normal request patterns to the /login/ route and alert on deviations containing path metacharacters

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose logging on the PersonManage servlet container to capture full request URIs and parameters
Forward web server and application logs to a central analytics platform for retention and cross-correlation
Monitor outbound network traffic from the PersonManage host for signs of data staging following suspected file disclosure

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-3043

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network exposure of PersonManage instances to trusted management networks until a fix is applied
Place the application behind a reverse proxy configured to reject requests containing traversal sequences
Audit web and application logs for prior exploitation attempts targeting /login/

Patch Information

PersonManage uses a rolling release model, and the vendor has not published discrete patched version numbers. Track the GitHub Issue Discussion for maintainer updates and pull the latest commit after the fix is merged. Validate the deployed build by reviewing the preHandle implementation for canonicalization logic.

Workarounds

Add a reverse proxy rule that denies requests where the decoded path contains .. sequences
Run the application under a low-privilege service account with file system access limited to required directories
Apply mandatory access controls, such as SELinux or AppArmor profiles, to restrict which files the PersonManage process can read

bash

# Example nginx rule to block traversal attempts before they reach the application
location /login/ {
    if ($request_uri ~* "(\.\./|\.\.\\|%2e%2e)") {
        return 403;
    }
    proxy_pass http://personmanage_backend;
}