# CVE-2023-51449: Make the `/file` secure against file traversal attacks

> Attackers can read arbitrary files on servers running Gradio apps with public URLs via path traversal in the /file route.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.6 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/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:** Yes
- **Published:** 22 Dec 2023
- **Updated:** 2 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6qm2-wpxq-7qh2, PYSEC-2023-249

## What is CVE-2023-51449?

CVE-2023-51449 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Gradio Project Gradio, published on 22 Dec 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Gradio is an open-source Python package that allows you to quickly build a demo or web application for your machine learning model, API, or any arbitary Python function. Versions of `gradio` prior to 4.11.0 contained a vulnerability in the `/file` route which made them susceptible to file traversal attacks in which an attacker could access arbitrary files on a machine running a Gradio app with a public URL (e.g. if the demo was created with `share=True`, or on Hugging Face Spaces) if they knew the path of files to look for. This issue has been patched in version 4.11.0.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-51449?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including gradio. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `gradio` | PyPI | All versions | 4.11.0 |
| `gradio` | PyPI | All versions | 4.11.0 |
| `gradio` | PyPI | All versions | 4.11.0 |

Products: Gradio Project Gradio.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-51449?

Upgrade gradio to 4.11.0 or later.

## Is CVE-2023-51449 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-51449 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Gradio Hugging Face - Local File Inclusion (nuclei): http/cves/2023/CVE-2023-51449.yaml

## Other vulnerabilities in Gradio Project Gradio

- [CVE-2024-39236](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-39236/): Withdrawn Advisory: Gradio was discovered to contain a code injection vulnerability via the component /gradio/component_meta.py (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-6572](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-6572/): Command Injection in gradio-app/gradio (critical 9.6)
- [CVE-2022-24770](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-24770/): Improper Neutralization of Formula Elements in a CSV File in Gradio Flagging (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-49119](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-49119/): Gradio < 6.16.0 Path Traversal via FileExplorer.preprocess() (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2025-23042](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-23042/): Gradio Blocked Path ACL Bypass Vulnerability (high 8.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-51449 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-51449 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Gradio Project Gradio, published on 22 Dec 2023. 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-2023-51449 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- gradio (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 4.11.0
- gradio (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 4.11.0
- gradio (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 4.11.0

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-2023-51449/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-51449/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-51449
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-51449
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-51449

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-51449/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.