CVE-2024-49771

MPXJ has a Potential Path Traversal Vulnerability

Workarounds

Do not pass zip files to MPXJ.

References

N/A

Credits

Issue report and patch provided by yyjLF and sprinkle

The patch for the historical vulnerability CVE-2020-35460 in MPXJ is incomplete as there is still a possibility that a malicious path could be constructed which would not be picked up by the original fix and allow files to be written to arbitrary locations.

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-2024-49771 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no 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 (13.5.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Already deployed Kodem?

The issue is addressed in MPXJ version 13.5.1

1. What is CVE-2024-49771? CVE-2024-49771 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in net.sf.mpxj:mpxj (maven), affecting versions >= 8.3.5, < 13.5.1. It is fixed in 13.5.1. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
2. How severe is CVE-2024-49771? CVE-2024-49771 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium). 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.
3. Which packages are affected by CVE-2024-49771?
   • net.sf.mpxj:mpxj (maven) (versions >= 8.3.5, < 13.5.1)
   • mpxj (rubygems) (versions >= 8.3.5, < 13.5.1)
   • net.sf.mpxj (nuget) (versions >= 8.3.5, < 13.5.1)
   • net.sf.mpxj-for-csharp (nuget) (versions >= 8.3.5, < 13.5.1)
   • net.sf.mpxj-for-vb (nuget) (versions >= 8.3.5, < 13.5.1)
   • MPXJ.Net (nuget) (versions >= 13.0.0, < 13.5.1)
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2024-49771? Yes. CVE-2024-49771 is fixed in 13.5.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2024-49771 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-49771 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2024-49771 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2024-49771?
   • Upgrade net.sf.mpxj:mpxj to 13.5.1 or later
   • Upgrade mpxj to 13.5.1 or later
   • Upgrade mpxj to 13.5.1 or later
   • Upgrade net.sf.mpxj to 13.5.1 or later
   • Upgrade net.sf.mpxj-for-csharp to 13.5.1 or later
   • Upgrade net.sf.mpxj-for-vb to 13.5.1 or later
   • Upgrade MPXJ.Net to 13.5.1 or later

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