# CVE-2024-21549: Browsershot Improper Input Validation vulnerability

> An attacker can read arbitrary local files by bypassing URL validation in the setUrl method of the spatie/browsershot library.

- **Severity:** High 7.7 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:N/SA:N/E:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 20 Dec 2024
- **Updated:** 15 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-c9f5-29f6-c35w

## What is CVE-2024-21549?

CVE-2024-21549 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in spatie/browsershot, published on 20 Dec 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Versions of the package spatie/browsershot before 5.0.3 are vulnerable to Improper Input Validation due to improper URL validation in the setUrl method. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by utilizing view-source:file://, which allows for arbitrary file reading on a local file.

**Note:**

This is a bypass of the fix for [CVE-2024-21544](https://security.snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-PHP-SPATIEBROWSERSHOT-8496745).

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-21549?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including spatie/browsershot.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `spatie/browsershot` | Packagist | All versions | 5.0.3 |
| `spatie/browsershot` | Packagist | All versions | 5.0.3 |

## How do I fix CVE-2024-21549?

Upgrade spatie/browsershot to 5.0.3 or later.

## Is CVE-2024-21549 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-21549 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-21549 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-21549 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in spatie/browsershot, published on 20 Dec 2024. 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-2024-21549 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- spatie/browsershot (Packagist): affected all versions; fixed in 5.0.3
- spatie/browsershot (Packagist): affected all versions; fixed in 5.0.3

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-2024-21549/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21549/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-21549
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-21549
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-21549

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21549/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.