CVE-2022-23532: APOC (Awesome Procedures on Cypher) is an add-on library for Neo4j that provides hundreds of procedures and functions. A path traversal vulnerability ...

Description

APOC (Awesome Procedures on Cypher) is an add-on library for Neo4j that provides hundreds of procedures and functions. A path traversal vulnerability found in the apoc.export.* procedures of apoc plugins in Neo4j Graph database. The issue allows a malicious actor to potentially break out of the expected directory. The vulnerability is such that files could only be created but not overwritten. For the vulnerability to be exploited, an attacker would need access to execute an arbitrary query, either by having access to an authenticated Neo4j client, or a Cypher injection vulnerability in an application. The minimum versions containing patch for this vulnerability are 4.4.0.12 and 4.3.0.12 and 5.3.1. As a workaround, you can control the allowlist of the procedures that can be used in your system, and/or turn off local file access by setting apoc.export.file.enabled=false.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

EPSS Probability

0.66%

46.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-22

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Neo4j	Awesome Procedures On Cyper	< 4.3.0.12
Neo4j	Awesome Procedures On Cyper	>= 4.4.0.0, < 4.4.0.12
Neo4j	Awesome Procedures On Cyper	5.3.0

References

https://github.com/neo4j-contrib/neo4j-apoc-procedures/commit/01e63ed2d187cd2a8aa1d78bf831ef0fdd69b522Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/neo4j-contrib/neo4j-apoc-procedures/security/advisories/GHSA-5v8v-gwmw-qw97Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/neo4j-contrib/neo4j-apoc-procedures/commit/01e63ed2d187cd2a8aa1d78bf831ef0fdd69b522Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/neo4j-contrib/neo4j-apoc-procedures/security/advisories/GHSA-5v8v-gwmw-qw97Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jan 14, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-23532?

APOC (Awesome Procedures on Cypher) is an add-on library for Neo4j that provides hundreds of procedures and functions. A path traversal vulnerability found in the apoc.export.* procedures of apoc plugins in Neo4j Graph database. The issue allows a malicious actor to potentially break out of the expected directory. The vulnerability is such that files could only be created but not overwritten. For the vulnerability to be exploited, an attacker would need access to execute an arbitrary query, either by having access to an authenticated Neo4j client, or a Cypher injection vulnerability in an application. The minimum versions containing patch for this vulnerability are 4.4.0.12 and 4.3.0.12 and 5.3.1. As a workaround, you can control the allowlist of the procedures that can be used in your system, and/or turn off local file access by setting apoc.export.file.enabled=false.

How severe is CVE-2022-23532?

CVE-2022-23532 has a CVSS score of 6.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.66% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2022-23532?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.