File Browser's password protection of links is bypassable

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

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

EPSS

• CVE-2025-52996: 0.39% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 33.04 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary

Files managed by the File Browser can be shared with a link to external persons. While the application allows protecting those links with a password, the implementation is error-prone, making an incidental unprotected sharing of a file possible. Impact

File owners might rest in the assumption that their shared files are only accessible to persons knowing the defined password, giving them a false sense of security. Meanwhile, attackers gaining access to the unprotected link can use this information alone to download the possibly sensitive file. Vulnerability Description

When sharing a file, the user is presented with a dialog asking for an optional password to protect the file share. The assumption of the user at this point would be, that the shared file won't be accessible without knowledge of the password. After clicking on SHARE the following dialog opens allowing the file's owner to copy the share-link: In fact, there is not one, but two links offered: A Download…

Published by the source

30 Jun 2025, 17:49 UTC

Last modified by the source

4 Aug 2025, 17:36 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 15:10 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-3v48-283x-f2w4

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2025-52996

Advisory: File Browser's password protection of links is bypassable
IDs: CVE-2025-52996, GHSA-3v48-283x-f2w4
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2025-52996 (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 15:10 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Low (CVSS 3.1)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor response not established. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Go github.com/filebrowser/filebrowser/v2: affected <= 2.42.1
- Go github.com/filebrowser/filebrowser: affected <= 1.11.0

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Go github.com/filebrowser/filebrowser/v2: check the installed version with your package manager.
- Go github.com/filebrowser/filebrowser: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
No complete vendor fix is recorded. Follow the primary source's mitigation guidance and check this record again before closing anything.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on github.com/filebrowser/filebrowser/v2, github.com/filebrowser/filebrowser.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-3v48-283x-f2w4 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-3v48-283x-f2w4 lists affected ranges: Go github.com/filebrowser/filebrowser >=0 =0 <=2.42.1)

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