# CVE-2026-23491: InvoicePlane - Path Traversal

> Live exploitation tracking for CVE-2026-23491 by the CrowdSec Live Exploit Tracker, built from real-world attack data crowdsourced from CrowdSec's global network.

Page: https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2026-23491

## Key facts

- **Exploitation phase:** Limited Exploitation. The vulnerability is known but shows very limited attacker interest or exploitation activity.
- **CVSS score:** 9.3
- **Public exploit available:** Yes
- **Affected products:** InvoicePlane
- **Weaknesses:** CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal'))
- **Tags:** web_application

## Description

InvoicePlane is a self-hosted open source application for managing invoices, clients, and payments. A path traversal vulnerability exists in the `get_file` method of the `Guest` module's `Get` controller in InvoicePlane up to and including through 1.6.3. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to read arbitrary files on the server by manipulating the input filename. This leads to the disclosure of sensitive information, including configuration files with database credentials. Version 1.6.4 fixes the issue.

## CrowdSec analysis

[CVE-2026-23491](https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/CVE-2026-23491) is a critical path traversal vulnerability in InvoicePlane through version 1.6.3 that allows unauthenticated attackers to read arbitrary files on the server by manipulating the filename input. Exploitation can expose sensitive data, including configuration files and database credentials, potentially enabling further compromise of connected systems. InvoicePlane 1.6.4 addresses the issue.

CrowdSec has been tracking this vulnerability and its exploits since 17th of September 2026.

Insights from the CrowdSec network reveal that the attackers trying to exploit CVE-2026-23491 are composed of a fairly even mix of opportunistic and targeted actors. Some attackers employ preliminary reconnaissance, while others use indiscriminate scanning.
Additionally, according to week-over-week analysis by CrowdSec, exploitation of CVE-2026-23491 is surging. Attack volumes are spiking well above historical norms, indicating widespread and escalating interest from threat actors. CVE-2026-23491 is currently experiencing high visibility and active exploitation across the internet.

Attackers target the InvoicePlane guest file-download endpoint at `/index.php/guest/get/get_file/`, supplying encoded `../` traversal sequences to access files outside the intended upload directory, such as `ipconfig.php`. Successful exploitation may disclose application configuration, database credentials, and encryption keys in an attachment response.

## Timeline

- 2026-02-18: CVE Published. CVE-2026-23491 is published to NVD.
- 2026-09-17: Rule Released. CrowdSec releases a rule to detect CVE-2026-23491 exploitation attempts against the CrowdSec Network.
- 2026-09-23: CrowdSec First Seen. CrowdSec observes in-the-wild exploitation of CVE-2026-23491 for the first time.

## References

- https://github.com/InvoicePlane/InvoicePlane/security/advisories/GHSA-88gq-mv54-v3fc
- https://github.com/InvoicePlane/InvoicePlane/commit/add8bb798dde621f886823065ef1841986543c69
- https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2026/CVE-2026-23491.yaml

## Live exploitation data

The [Live Exploit Tracker page](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2026-23491) follows observed exploitation activity for CVE-2026-23491. [Request an API key](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/request-api-key) for full access to its exploitation timeline, attacking IP addresses and blocklists.