# CVE-2023-36822: Uptime Kuma path traversal in plugin installation

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2023-36822-uptime-kuma-path-traversal-in-plugin-installation  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2024-05-01. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2023-36822 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.1 · Published 2024-05-01

Uptime Kuma is a website and service monitoring application that allows users to install third-party plugins. An authenticated attacker can exploit unsanitized plugin names to perform path traversal, enabling them to delete arbitrary files from the server. This can render Uptime Kuma or the entire system unavailable and cause permanent data loss.

Technologies: [uptime-kuma (npm)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/uptime-kuma). Vendors: [npm](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/npm).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2023-36822 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2023-36822 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2023-36822?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.1, published 1 May 2024.

**Which products and versions are affected?** uptime-kuma (npm) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=1.22.1.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2023-36822?** Yes. uptime-kuma (npm): upgrade to 1.22.1 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2023-36822 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a web application.

**Am I affected by CVE-2023-36822?** Check whether you run uptime-kuma (npm) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- uptime-kuma (npm): upgrade to 1.22.1 or later

  ```sh
  npm install uptime-kuma@1.22.1
  ```


## Technical details

The vulnerability is a path traversal flaw (CWE-22) in the plugin installation mechanism. When installing a plugin, the application constructs a file path using a user-supplied plugin name without proper validation or sanitization. Before downloading a plugin, the code checks if the installation directory exists and removes it recursively using fs.rmSync(). An attacker can bypass directory restrictions by using path traversal sequences (e.g., "../../../") in the plugin name parameter to reference and delete files outside the intended plugins directory. Exploitation requires authentication (low privilege) and network access to the WebSocket API endpoint. A successful attack can delete critical system files, causing service disruption and data loss. The vulnerability was fixed in version 1.22.1.

## Affected products

- Louis Lam Uptime Kuma <= 1.22.0

## Identifiers

- CVE-2023-36822
- GHSA-vr8x-74pm-6vj7

## Timeline

- 2023-07-04: disclosed
- 2024-05-01: advisory
- 2023: patched: Fixed in version 1.22.1

## References

- [https://github.com/louislam/uptime-kuma/security/advisories/GHSA-vr8x-74pm-6vj7](https://github.com/louislam/uptime-kuma/security/advisories/GHSA-vr8x-74pm-6vj7)

## Related threats

- [Uptime Kuma missing authorization check on ping badge endpoint](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-32230-uptime-kuma-missing-authorization-check-on-ping-badge-endpoint)
- [Uptime Kuma Server-side Template Injection in notification templates](https://junglewise.ai/threats/uptime-kuma-server-side-template-injection-in-notification-templates-8547405a)
- [Uptime Kuma ReDoS in pushdeer and whapi notification providers](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-26042-uptime-kuma-redos-in-pushdeer-and-whapi-notification-providers)
- [Uptime Kuma ReDoS in notification provider configuration](https://junglewise.ai/threats/uptime-kuma-redos-in-notification-provider-configuration-e7e79209)
- [Uptime Kuma authenticated remote code execution via plugin installation](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2023-36821-uptime-kuma-authenticated-remote-code-execution-via-plugin)