# CVE-2024-13550: ABC Notation <= 6.1.3 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Arbitrary File Read

> Authenticated contributors can read arbitrary server files via path traversal in the ABC Notation WordPress plugin.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/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:** 25 Jan 2025
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-q9q4-96rw-4j4p

## What is CVE-2024-13550?

CVE-2024-13550 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in paulrosen ABC Notation, published on 25 Jan 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The ABC Notation plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Path Traversal in all versions up to, and including, 6.1.3 via the 'file' attribute of the 'abcjs' shortcode. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to read the contents of arbitrary files on the server, which can contain sensitive information.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-13550?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Paulrosen Abc Notation.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-13550?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-13550 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-13550 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-13550 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in paulrosen ABC Notation

- [CVE-2024-13551](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-13551/): ABC Notation <= 6.1.3 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting (medium 6.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-13550 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-13550 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in paulrosen ABC Notation, published on 25 Jan 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-13550 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: paulrosen ABC Notation. 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-2024-13550/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-13550/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-13550
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-13550
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-13550

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-13550/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.