# CVE-2021-41152: Path Traversal in Folder Component Leading to Local File Inclusion

> An authenticated attacker can exploit path traversal in the folder component to read arbitrary files on the server.

- **Severity:** High 7.7 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 18 Oct 2021
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-m8j5-837g-2p3f

## What is CVE-2021-41152?

CVE-2021-41152 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in OpenOLAT, published on 18 Oct 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

OpenOlat is a web-based e-learning platform for teaching, learning, assessment and communication, an LMS, a learning management system. In affected versions by manipulating the HTTP request an attacker can modify the path of a requested file download in the folder component to point to anywhere on the target system. The attack could be used to read any file accessible in the web root folder or outside, depending on the configuration of the system and the properly configured permission of the application server user. The attack requires an OpenOlat user account or the enabled guest user feature together with the usage of the folder component in a course. The attack does not allow writing of arbitrary files, it allows only reading of files and also only ready of files that the attacker knows the exact path which is very unlikely at least for OpenOlat data files. The problem is fixed in version 15.5.8 and 16.0.1 It is advised to upgrade to version 16.0.x. There are no known workarounds to fix this problem, an upgrade is necessary.

Weakness: CWE-23 (Relative Path Traversal), CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-41152?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Frentix Openolat.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-41152?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-41152 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-41152 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-41152 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in OpenOLAT

- [CVE-2026-31946](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-31946/): OpenOLAT: Authentication bypass via forged JWT in OIDC implicit flow (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-28228](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-28228/): OpenOLAT: Server-Side Template Injection (SSTI) in Velocity templates allows Remote Code Execution (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2021-39181](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-39181/): Unsafe Deserialization of User Data Using XStream (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2021-41242](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-41242/): Path Traversal in some REST methods leading to file upload to arbitrary places (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2021-39180](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-39180/): Path Traversal in Archive Handling Leading to Code Execution (high 8.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-41152 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-41152 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in OpenOLAT, published on 18 Oct 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-41152 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: OpenOLAT. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-41152/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-41152/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-41152
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-41152
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-41152

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-41152/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.