Summary
Genie Path Traversal vulnerability via File Uploads
Overview
Path Traversal Vulnerability via File Uploads in Genie
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.
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.
Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files. Typical impact: unauthorized file read or write outside the intended directory.
CVE-2024-4701 has a CVSS score of 9.9 (Critical). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (4.3.18); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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This path traversal issue is fixed in Genie OSS v4.3.18. This issue was fixed in https://github.com/Netflix/genie/pull/1216 and https://github.com/Netflix/genie/pull/1217 and a new release with the fix was created. Please, upgrade your Genie OSS instances to the new version.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2024-4701? CVE-2024-4701 is a critical-severity path traversal vulnerability in com.netflix.genie:genie-web (maven), affecting versions < 4.3.18. It is fixed in 4.3.18. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
- How severe is CVE-2024-4701? CVE-2024-4701 has a CVSS score of 9.9 (Critical). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of com.netflix.genie:genie-web are affected by CVE-2024-4701? com.netflix.genie:genie-web (maven) versions < 4.3.18 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2024-4701? Yes. CVE-2024-4701 is fixed in 4.3.18. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2024-4701 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-4701 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2024-4701 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2024-4701? Upgrade
com.netflix.genie:genie-webto 4.3.18 or later.