CVE-2026-63179: Winter: Local File Inclusion through @import directives in LESS compilation of backend customizable stylesheets and theme assets
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 19/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.51% (FIRST EPSS).
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. Administrator privileges are required. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- Fixed version: wintercms winter 1.2.13.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to wintercms winter 1.2.13 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
Winter CMS is a content management system built on the Laravel PHP framework. In versions up to and including 1.2.12, authenticated backend users can disclose arbitrary files readable by the PHP process by injecting @import (inline) directives into LESS source that the backend compiles, because the LESS parser was instantiated without a safe import resolver and fell back to the raw attacker-supplied path when no allowed root matched. The flaw is reachable through four entry points that share the same root cause: the Brand Settings custom_css field, the Editor Settings html_custom_styles field, the Mail Brand Settings colour-picker fields whose values are concatenated into LESS source without escaping, and theme .less, .sass, and .scss assets compiled when served. Both absolute paths and .. traversal outside the asset's own tree were accepted, so an attacker could read any file the web process can access, most significantly the application .env file and the APP_KEY and database credentials it contains. Exploitation requires a backend account holding one of the associated permissions, which are assigned by default to the built-in Developer role. This issue is fixed in version 1.2.13.
- Published
- Aug 26, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 9, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.5% · 44th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-22
Report tools
Action score
19
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 19 / 40 · 4.9 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.5%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- partial
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · GitHub_M
- 4.9
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
Is your version affected? Check itNoroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
—
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
wintercms winter
- < 1.2.13affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packagist | winter/wn-backend-module | before 1.2.13 | 1.2.13 |
Same product
wintercms: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2026-27591Winter: Privilege escalation by authenticated backend users39Monitor
- CVE-2022-39357Winter vulnerable to Prototype Pollution in Snowboard framework39Monitor
- CVE-2026-79774Winter CMS before 1.2.13 Twig Sandbox Escape via SecurityPolicy37Monitor
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-32639Aug 26, 2026 · Winter: Broken access control in `Cms\Controllers\Index` allows cross-template actions and unauthorized asset uploads27Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-54256Aug 26, 2026 · Winter: Authenticated IDOR in backend FileUpload widget allows cross-user access to attachment metadata21Monitor
- Later →CVE-2026-125337Nov 10, 2026 · Winter CMS: ImportExportController AJAX handlers bypass granular import/export permission gate33Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| wintercms winter | 1.2.13 · description | Vendor (CNA) |
| Packagist:winter/wn-backend-module | 1.2.13 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
- CVE-2026-797731 days apartWinter CMS before 1.2.13 Local File Inclusion via JavaScript27Monitor
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- Administrator privileges are required.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- none
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
nvd-secondary
Root cause
A user-supplied file name is joined with the allowed directory, but the result is never checked to confirm it is still inside that directory.
The bug in code
The whole CWE-22 classA representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.
Vulnerable
const file = path.join(ROOT, req.query.name);
res.sendFile(file);Fixed
const file = path.resolve(ROOT, req.query.name);
if (!file.startsWith(ROOT + path.sep)) {
return res.sendStatus(400);
}
res.sendFile(file);Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- Path TraversalCAPEC-126likelihood: High · Very High
- Using Slashes and URL Encoding Combined to Bypass Validation LogicCAPEC-64likelihood: High · High
- Manipulating Web Input to File System CallsCAPEC-76likelihood: High · Very High
- Using Escaped Slashes in Alternate EncodingCAPEC-78likelihood: High · High
- Using Slashes in Alternate EncodingCAPEC-79likelihood: High · High
ATT&CK techniques
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Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (3 more)Show less
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.