# CVE-2024-27903: Path traversal in OpenVPN 2

> Attackers can load arbitrary plugins from any directory to interact with the privileged OpenVPN service, enabling privilege escalation and code execution.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 8 Jul 2024
- **Updated:** 23 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-63q4-8wcf-wg8f

## What is CVE-2024-27903?

CVE-2024-27903 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in OpenVPN 2, published on 8 Jul 2024. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

OpenVPN plug-ins on Windows with OpenVPN 2.6.9 and earlier could be loaded from any directory, which allows an attacker to load an arbitrary plug-in which can be used to interact with the privileged OpenVPN interactive service.

Weakness: CWE-434 (Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type), CWE-283 (Unverified Ownership)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-27903?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Openvpn Openvpn.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-27903?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-27903 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-27903 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-27903 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in OpenVPN 2

- [CVE-2025-12106](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-12106/): Memory corruption in OpenVPN (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2024-5594](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-5594/): Information disclosure in OpenVPN (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2018-7544](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-7544/): Cross-site request forgery in n/a (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2006-1629](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-1629/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2024-4877](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-4877/): Privilege escalation in OpenVPN (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-27903 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-27903 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in OpenVPN 2, published on 8 Jul 2024. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-27903 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: OpenVPN 2. 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-2024-27903/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-27903/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-27903
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-27903
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-27903

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-27903/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.