How to Fix CVE-2026-35613: Path traversal in coursevault-preview due to improper base-directory boundary validation
Related fixes
Other vulnerabilities in the same area that are worth patching alongside this one:
- How to Fix CVE-2026-32968: Command Injection in MB connect line mbCONNECT24 — Command Injection in MB connect line mbCONNECT24
- How to Fix CVE-2026-22070: CWE-23 Relative path traversal in ColorOS Assistant — CWE-23 Relative path traversal in ColorOS Assistant
- How to Fix CVE-2026-42548: Cross-Site Scripting in core , Cross-Site Scripting in core
- How to Fix CVE-2026-4142: CWE-79 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') , CWE-79 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
- How to Fix CVE-2026-29120: Hardcoded credentials in IDC SFX2100 SuperFlex Satellite Receiver , Hardcoded credentials in IDC SFX2100 SuperFlex Satellite Receiver
*By Sai Kiran Pandrala*
Last verified: 2026-05-25
| Severity | CVSS 5.1, Medium |
|---|---|
| Actively exploited? | No |
| Affected | Moritzmyrz coursevault-preview (< 0.1.1) |
| Fixed in | 0.1.1 |
| Type (CWE) | CWE-22: CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') |
CVE-2026-35613 is a path traversal in coursevault-preview due to improper base-directory boundary validation in Moritzmyrz coursevault-preview. The fix is to upgrade to 0.1.1 and apply the runnable commands below.
What is CVE-2026-35613?
coursevault-preview is a utility for previewing course material files from a configured directory. coursevault-preview versions prior to 0.1.1 contain a path traversal vulnerability in the resolveSafe utility. The boundary check used String.prototype.startsWith(baseDir) on a normalized path, which does not enforce a directory boundary.
In practical terms, a successful attacker gets unauthorized file reads or writes through path traversal. There is no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation listed in CISA's KEV catalog at the time of writing, but the CVSS rating still warrants prompt patching.
Am I affected?
You are affected if you run Moritzmyrz coursevault-preview at a version listed in the Affected row above. Probe your installed build with the commands below.
# Confirm the installed version via your package manager
dpkg -l | grep -i coursevault-preview # Debian/Ubuntu
rpm -qa | grep -i coursevault-preview # RHEL/CentOS/Rocky
How to fix CVE-2026-35613
The primary fix is to upgrade to the patched build listed in the Fixed in row above (0.1.1). Pick the platform that matches your install and run the commands below.
Linux (Ubuntu / Debian)
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade coursevault-preview
# Confirm the installed version meets or exceeds 0.1.1
dpkg -s coursevault-preview | grep ^Version
Linux (RHEL / CentOS / Rocky)
sudo dnf upgrade --security coursevault-preview -y
rpm -q coursevault-preview
Windows (PowerShell, admin)
winget upgrade --id 'Moritzmyrz.coursevaultpreview' --silent --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements
# If winget doesn't know the product, download the patched installer from the vendor and:
Start-Process -FilePath "$env:TEMP\coursevaultpreview-0.1.1.msi" -ArgumentList '/qn /norestart' -Wait
PowerShell script (Windows): detect, back up, upgrade, verify, log
# Run as Administrator
$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
$log = "$env:ProgramData\coursevaultpreview-Patch-CVE-2026-35613.log"
function Write-Log($msg) { "$(Get-Date -Format s) $msg" | Tee-Object -FilePath $log -Append }
Write-Log "Starting CVE-2026-35613 remediation for Moritzmyrz coursevault-preview"
# 1. Detect: replace the path/version probe with one valid for your install
$installed = (Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product |
Where-Object { $_.Name -like '*coursevault-preview*' } |
Select-Object -First 1 -ExpandProperty Version)
Write-Log "Detected version: $installed"
if (-not $installed) {
Write-Log "Product not installed on this host; nothing to do."
return
}
if ([version]$installed -ge [version]'0.1.1') {
Write-Log "Already at fixed version $installed; no action needed."
return
}
# 2. Backup configuration to a timestamped folder
$backup = "$env:ProgramData\coursevaultpreview-Backup-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd-HHmm)"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $backup -Force | Out-Null
$src = "$env:ProgramFiles\Moritzmyrz\coursevault-preview"
if (Test-Path $src) { Copy-Item -Path $src -Destination $backup -Recurse -Force }
Write-Log "Backed up config to $backup"
# 3. Apply the patched installer
$installer = "$env:TEMP\coursevaultpreview-0.1.1.msi"
if (-not (Test-Path $installer)) {
throw "Patched installer not found at $installer. Stage it from your software repo first."
}
Start-Process msiexec.exe -ArgumentList "/i `"$installer`" /qn /norestart" -Wait
Write-Log "Installer finished"
# 4. Verify
$verify = (Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product |
Where-Object { $_.Name -like '*coursevault-preview*' } |
Select-Object -First 1 -ExpandProperty Version)
if ([version]$verify -ge [version]'0.1.1') {
Write-Log "SUCCESS: now at $verify (>= 0.1.1)"
} else {
Write-Log "FAILURE: still at $verify after install"
exit 1
}
Bash script (Linux): detect, back up, upgrade, verify, log
#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail
LOG=/var/log/coursevault-preview-patch-cve-2026-35613.log
log() { echo "$(date -Iseconds) $*" | tee -a "$LOG"; }
log "Starting CVE-2026-35613 remediation for Moritzmyrz coursevault-preview"
# 1. Detect installed version (works for deb and rpm packages)
if command -v dpkg >/dev/null && dpkg -s coursevault-preview >/dev/null 2>&1; then
CURRENT=$(dpkg-query -W -f='${Version}' coursevault-preview)
PKG_MGR=apt
elif command -v rpm >/dev/null && rpm -q coursevault-preview >/dev/null 2>&1; then
CURRENT=$(rpm -q --queryformat '%{VERSION}' coursevault-preview)
PKG_MGR=dnf
else
log "coursevault-preview not installed via apt or rpm; check your package manager or vendor instructions."
exit 0
fi
log "Detected: coursevault-preview=$CURRENT (manager=$PKG_MGR)"
# 2. Backup config
BACKUP=/var/backups/coursevault-preview-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M)
mkdir -p "$BACKUP"
for d in /etc/coursevault-preview /etc/${pkg%%-*} ; do
[ -d "$d" ] && cp -a "$d" "$BACKUP/" && log "Backed up $d to $BACKUP"
done
# 3. Upgrade
if [ "$PKG_MGR" = apt ]; then
sudo apt-get update -y
sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade -y coursevault-preview
else
sudo dnf upgrade --security -y coursevault-preview
fi
# 4. Verify
if [ "$PKG_MGR" = apt ]; then
NEW=$(dpkg-query -W -f='${Version}' coursevault-preview)
else
NEW=$(rpm -q --queryformat '%{VERSION}' coursevault-preview)
fi
log "After upgrade: $NEW"
log "Done. Compare $NEW against 0.1.1 and restart the affected service if needed."
If you cannot patch immediately
These are runnable hardening commands. They reduce blast radius but they are not a replacement for the vendor patch.
Reject ../ and encoded variants at the reverse proxy
nginx:
location / {
if ($request_uri ~* "(\.\./|%2e%2e/|%2e%2e%2f|%2f%2e%2e)") { return 403; }
proxy_pass http://backend;
}
Apache mod_rewrite:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} (\.\./|%2e%2e/|%2f%2e%2e) [NC]
RewriteRule .* - [F]
How to verify the fix worked
Run the version probe again and confirm the running build matches the Fixed in row above.
dpkg -l | grep -i "coursevault-preview" # Debian/Ubuntu
rpm -qa | grep -i "coursevault-preview" # RHEL/CentOS/Rocky
Expected output: the package version should meet or exceed 0.1.1.
Re-run any vulnerability scanner you used previously and confirm the finding for CVE-2026-35613 has cleared. Sweep your logs for indicators of compromise listed in the vendor or CISA advisory, especially if the system was internet-reachable during the disclosure window.
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2026-35613 being actively exploited?
Not at the time of writing. It is not listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. That status can change, so monitor the vendor advisory and the KEV catalog if the system is exposed.
How severe is CVE-2026-35613?
CVSS rates it 5.1 (Medium). Use that score to set your patch priority alongside the other items in your queue.
Do I have to take coursevault-preview offline to apply the patch?
It depends on the deployment. High-availability or clustered installs can usually patch one node at a time with no full outage. Standalone installs typically need a short restart. Always follow the vendor's documented upgrade steps.
What if my vulnerability scanner still flags CVE-2026-35613 after I patch?
Re-run the scan after a service restart, then confirm the scanner's plugin set is up to date. Some scanners detect by banner version only and lag the official fix metadata by a release.
References
- Official vendor advisory: https://github.com/moritzmyrz/coursevault-preview/security/advisories/GHSA-9h9m-rr67-9jpg
- NVD entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35613
- CISA KEV catalog: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
*Written by Sai Kiran Pandrala. Last verified 2026-05-25. Sourced from the official vendor advisory, the NVD record, and the CISA KEV listing. Always confirm against the vendor advisory before applying changes in production.*