# CVE-2024-35778: WordPress Slideshow SE plugin <= 2.5.17 - Auth. Limited Local File Inclusion vulnerability

> Authenticated attackers can exploit a path traversal flaw in the Slideshow SE plugin to read arbitrary local files from the server.

- **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:** 21 Jun 2024
- **Updated:** 28 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-q22q-7hwh-8hjj

## What is CVE-2024-35778?

CVE-2024-35778 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in John West Slideshow SE, published on 21 Jun 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in John West Slideshow SE PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Slideshow SE: from n/a through 2.5.17.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-35778?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Slideshow Se Project Slideshow Se.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-35778?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-35778 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-35778 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-35778 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in John West Slideshow SE

- [CVE-2024-35769](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-35769/): WordPress Slideshow SE plugin <= 2.5.17 - Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability (medium 5.9)
- [CVE-2022-43461](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-43461/): WordPress Slideshow SE Plugin <= 2.5.5 is vulnerable to Cross Site Scripting (XSS) (medium 4.8)
- [CVE-2022-41554](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-41554/): WordPress Slideshow SE Plugin <= 2.5.5 is vulnerable to Cross Site Scripting (XSS) (medium 4.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-35778 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-35778 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in John West Slideshow SE, published on 21 Jun 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-35778 exists.

Affected product: John West Slideshow SE. 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-2024-35778/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-35778/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-35778
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-35778
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-35778

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-35778/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.