CVE-2024-4701: Genie Path Traversal vulnerability via File Uploads

Should you act?

High exploit likelihood

EPSS ranks it in the top 5% of all CVEs for likely exploitation in the next 30 days. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.

• Not in CISA KEV, but CISA’s SSVC assessment records a public proof-of-concept, so attack code exists.
• EPSS 24.6%, percentile 98: FIRST’s model estimates a 24.6% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 98% of all scored CVEs (very high). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
• Needs an account (low (any account)). Exposure depends on who can log in.
• Only applies if your dependency tree includes com.netflix.genie:genie-web (Maven) < 4.3.18, fixed in 4.3.18. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

What it is

A path traversal issue potentially leading to remote code execution in Genie for all versions prior to 4.3.18

From the GitHub advisory

Overview Path Traversal Vulnerability via File Uploads in Genie

Impact Any Genie OSS users running their own instance and relying on the filesystem to store file attachments submitted to the Genie application may be impacted. Using this technique, it is possible to write a file with any user-specified filename and file contents to any location on the file system that the Java process has write access - potentially leading to remote code execution (RCE).

Genie users who do not store these attachments locally on the underlying file system are not vulnerable to this issue.

Description Genie's API accepts a multipart/form-data file upload which can be saved to a location on disk. However, it takes a user-supplied filename as part of the request and uses this as the filename when writing the file to disk. Since this filename is user-controlled, it is possible for a malicious actor to manipulate the filename in order to break out of the default attachment storage path and perform path traversal.

Using this technique it is possible to write a file with any user specified name and file contents to any location on the file system that the Java process has write access to.

Weakness type: CWE-22.

Product: com.netflix.genie:genie-web (Maven) · Assigned by: netflix · Published: 2024-05-10

Affected and fixed versions

Severity scores

• Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
• Attack complexity: low
• Privileges required: low (any account)
• User interaction: none
• Scope: changed (can affect other components)

CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.

Exploitation and urgency

• CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
• CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation poc, automatable yes, technical impact total.
• FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 24.63% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 98.

Timeline

• 2024-05-09 — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-wpcv-5jgp-69f3 published (critical)
• 2024-05-10 — CVE record published by netflix
• 2024-08-01 — CVE record last updated

Sources and references

Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.

Vulnerability records

1. GitHub Advisory GHSA-wpcv-5jgp-69f3 github.com
2. CVE.org record CVE-2024-4701 cve.org
3. NVD entry CVE-2024-4701 nvd.nist.gov

Other references from the CVE record and advisory

1. github.com github.com
2. github.com github.com
3. github.com github.com
4. github.com github.com
5. github.com github.com

Critical Maven advisories · Today’s Security Digest