What’s Vulnerable › Vulnerabilities

CVE-2025-34120: LimeSurvey 2.0+ - 2.06+ Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Download via Serialized Backup Payload

• Severity: high (CVSS 8.7 v4.0)
• Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
• EPSS: 2.0% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
• Public exploit or detection template: none known
• Published: 2025-07-16 · updated 2026-06-17
• Weakness: CWE-22

Description

An unauthenticated file download vulnerability exists in LimeSurvey versions from 2.0+ up to and including 2.06+ Build 151014. The application fails to validate serialized input to the admin backup endpoint (`index.php/admin/update/sa/backup`), allowing attackers to specify arbitrary file paths using a crafted `datasupdateinfo` payload. The files are packaged in a ZIP archive and made available for download without authentication. This vulnerability can be exploited to read arbitrary files on the host system, including sensitive OS and configuration files.

Affected products

• LimeSurvey GmbH LimeSurvey: from 2.0+ through 2.06+ Build 151014

References

• https://packetstorm.news/files/id/180855
• https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/auxiliary/admin/http/limesurvey_file_download.rb
• https://sec-consult.com/vulnerability-lab/advisory/multiple-critical-vulnerabilities-in-lime-survey/
• https://web.archive.org/web/20210123073627/https://www.limesurvey.org/blog/22-security/136-limesurvey-security-advisory-10-2015
• https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/limesurvey-unauthenticated-arbitrary-file-download

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