Summary
matrix-js-sdk has insufficient MXC URI validation which allows client-side path traversal
matrix-js-sdk before 34.11.0 is vulnerable to client-side path traversal via crafted MXC URIs. A malicious room member can trigger clients based on the matrix-js-sdk to issue arbitrary authenticated GET requests to the client's homeserver.
Details
The Matrix specification demands homeservers to perform validation of the server-name and media-id components of MXC URIs with the intent to prevent path traversal. However, it is not mentioned that a similar check must also be performed on the client to prevent client-side path traversal. matrix-js-sdk fails to perform this validation.
Workarounds
None.
References
Impact
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.
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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Fixed in matrix-js-sdk 34.11.1.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2024-50336? CVE-2024-50336 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in matrix-js-sdk (npm), affecting versions < 34.11.1. It is fixed in 34.11.1. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
- Which versions of matrix-js-sdk are affected by CVE-2024-50336? matrix-js-sdk (npm) versions < 34.11.1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2024-50336? Yes. CVE-2024-50336 is fixed in 34.11.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2024-50336 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-50336 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-2024-50336 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-2024-50336? Upgrade
matrix-js-sdkto 34.11.1 or later.