CVE-2024-0818 in paddle
Summary
by MITRE • 03/07/2024
Arbitrary File Overwrite Via Path Traversal in paddlepaddle/paddle before 2.6
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/24/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-0818 represents a critical path traversal flaw within the paddlepaddle/paddle machine learning framework prior to version 2.6. This security weakness allows attackers to manipulate file paths in ways that can lead to arbitrary file overwrite operations, potentially compromising system integrity and data confidentiality. The vulnerability resides in the framework's handling of file operations and path resolution mechanisms, creating an attack surface where malicious inputs can be exploited to target arbitrary locations on the filesystem. The issue stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied paths during file processing operations, enabling attackers to craft malicious inputs that bypass normal access controls and file system boundaries.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a path traversal pattern that aligns with CWE-22, which specifically addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory. Attackers can leverage this flaw by supplying crafted file paths that contain directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\, allowing them to navigate outside the intended directory structure and overwrite files in privileged locations. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because paddlepaddle is commonly used in production environments for machine learning model deployment, where the framework may be running with elevated privileges. When combined with the typical permissions associated with machine learning framework installations, this flaw can enable attackers to overwrite critical system files, configuration files, or even executable components that could lead to complete system compromise.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-0818 extends beyond simple file overwrite scenarios, as it can facilitate more sophisticated attack vectors that align with several techniques documented in the ATT&CK framework. Specifically, this vulnerability can support persistence mechanisms through the modification of system files or configuration components that are loaded during normal system operation. Attackers may also leverage this flaw to escalate privileges by overwriting binaries or libraries that are executed with higher privileges than the initial attack surface. The vulnerability affects environments where paddlepaddle is deployed for model serving, data processing pipelines, or automated machine learning workflows, making it particularly concerning for organizations that rely on these frameworks for critical business operations. Additionally, the impact is amplified in containerized environments where the vulnerability could be exploited to overwrite files within the container's filesystem or potentially affect host-level resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-0818 must focus on both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to paddlepaddle version 2.6 or later, which includes proper input validation and path sanitization measures that address the underlying path traversal vulnerability. Beyond the immediate patch, security teams should implement comprehensive input validation at all levels of the application stack, ensuring that file paths are properly sanitized before any file operations are executed. The implementation of principle of least privilege should be enforced, limiting the permissions of paddlepaddle processes to reduce the potential impact of successful exploitation. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough security reviews of their machine learning deployment architectures to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other components of their data processing pipelines. Regular security testing including static and dynamic analysis should be integrated into development workflows to prevent similar issues from emerging in future releases. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous file access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, providing early warning capabilities for potential attacks targeting this vulnerability.