# CVE-2024-38353: CodiMD - Missing Image Access Controls and Unauthorized Image Access

> Unauthenticated attackers can access uploaded images in CodiMD due to missing access controls and predictable filenames, exposing sensitive data.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Jul 2024
- **Updated:** 2 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-2764-jppc-p2hm

## What is CVE-2024-38353?

CVE-2024-38353 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in hackmdio codimd, published on 10 Jul 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

CodiMD allows realtime collaborative markdown notes on all platforms. CodiMD before 2.5.4 is missing authentication and access control vulnerability allowing an unauthenticated attacker to gain unauthorised access to image data uploaded to CodiMD. CodiMD does not require valid authentication to access uploaded images or to upload new image data. An attacker who can determine an uploaded image's URL can gain unauthorised access to uploaded image data. Due to the insecure random filename generation in the underlying Formidable library, an attacker can determine the filenames for previously uploaded images and the likelihood of this issue being exploited is increased. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.5.4.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), CWE-338 (Use of Cryptographically Weak Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG))

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-38353?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Hackmd Codimd.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-38353?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-38353 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-38353 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-38353 exists.

Public exploit code:

- CodiMD <2.5.4 - Insecure Filename Randomization (nuclei): http/cves/2024/CVE-2024-38353.yaml

## Other vulnerabilities in hackmdio codimd

- [CVE-2024-38354](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38354/): Cross-site Scripting in Hackmd.io Notes lead by HTML Injection (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2024-22778](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-22778/): Denial of service in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2019-15499](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-15499/): Cross-site scripting in n/a (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2025-46654](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-46654/): Cross-site scripting in CodiMD (medium 4.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-38353 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-38353 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in hackmdio codimd, published on 10 Jul 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-2024-38353 exists.

Affected product: hackmdio codimd. 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-2024-38353/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38353/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-38353
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-38353
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-38353

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38353/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.