# CVE-2022-24900: Absolute Path Traversal due to incorrect use of `send_file` call in Piano LED Visualizer

> Attackers can read arbitrary files from the server by exploiting unsafe path joining in the Piano LED Visualizer application.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.9 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 29 Apr 2022
- **Updated:** 22 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-g78x-q3x8-r6m4

## What is CVE-2022-24900?

CVE-2022-24900 is a critical path traversal vulnerability in onlaj Piano-LED-Visualizer, published on 29 Apr 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Piano LED Visualizer is software that allows LED lights to light up as a person plays a piano connected to a computer. Version 1.3 and prior are vulnerable to a path traversal attack. The `os.path.join` call is unsafe for use with untrusted input. When the `os.path.join` call encounters an absolute path, it ignores all the parameters it has encountered till that point and starts working with the new absolute path. Since the "malicious" parameter represents an absolute path, the result of `os.path.join` ignores the static directory completely. Hence, untrusted input is passed via the `os.path.join` call to `flask.send_file` can lead to path traversal attacks. A patch with a fix is available on the `master` branch of the GitHub repository. This can also be fixed by preventing flow of untrusted data to the vulnerable `send_file` function. In case the application logic necessiates this behaviour, one can either use the `flask.safe_join` to join untrusted paths or replace `flask.send_file` calls with `flask.send_from_directory` calls.

Weakness: CWE-668 (Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere), CWE-73 (External Control of File Name or Path), CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-24900?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Piano Led Visualizer Project Piano Led Visualizer.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-24900?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-24900 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-24900 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2022-24900 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Piano LED Visualizer 1.3 - Local File Inclusion (nuclei): http/cves/2022/CVE-2022-24900.yaml

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-24900 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-24900 is a critical path traversal vulnerability in onlaj Piano-LED-Visualizer, published on 29 Apr 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2022-24900 exists.

Affected product: onlaj Piano-LED-Visualizer. 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-2022-24900/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-24900/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-24900
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-24900
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-24900

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-24900/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.