CVE-2024-51998

The validation for the file URI scheme falls short, and results in an attacker being able to read any file on the system. This issue only affects instances with a webdriver enabled, and ALLOW_FILE_URI false or not defined.

Details

The check used for URL protocol, is_safe_url, allows file: as a URL scheme:

https://github.com/dgtlmoon/changedetection.io/blob/e0abf0b50507a8a3d0c1d8522ab23519b3e4cdf4/changedetectionio/model/Watch.py#L11-L13

It later checks if local files are permitted, but one of the preconditions for the check is that the URL starts with file://. The issue comes with the fact that the file URI scheme is not required to have double slashes.

A valid file URI must therefore begin with either file:/path (no hostname), file:///path (empty hostname), or file://hostname/path.
, Wikipedia

https://github.com/dgtlmoon/changedetection.io/blob/e0abf0b50507a8a3d0c1d8522ab23519b3e4cdf4/changedetectionio/processors/__init__.py#L37-L41

PoC

1. Open up a changedetection.io instance with a webdriver configured
2. Create a new watch: file:/etc/passwd or a similar path for your operating system. Enable webdriver mode
3. Wait for it to be checked
4. Open preview
5. Notice contents of the file

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-2024-51998 has a CVSS score of 8.6 (High). 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 (0.47.6); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2024-51998? CVE-2024-51998 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in changedetection.io (pip), affecting versions <= 0.47.5. It is fixed in 0.47.6. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
2. How severe is CVE-2024-51998? CVE-2024-51998 has a CVSS score of 8.6 (High). 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 versions of changedetection.io are affected by CVE-2024-51998? changedetection.io (pip) versions <= 0.47.5 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2024-51998? Yes. CVE-2024-51998 is fixed in 0.47.6. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2024-51998 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-51998 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-2024-51998 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-2024-51998? Upgrade changedetection.io to 0.47.6 or later.