# CVE-2024-45709: SolarWinds Web Help Desk Local File Read Vulnerability

> Attackers can read local files on Linux installations configured in non-default development or test mode.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Dec 2024
- **Updated:** 10 Dec 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-9mf9-w55r-wwq5

## What is CVE-2024-45709?

CVE-2024-45709 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in SolarWinds Web Help Desk, published on 10 Dec 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

SolarWinds Web Help Desk was susceptible to a local file read vulnerability.  This vulnerability requires the software be installed on Linux and configured to use non-default development/test mode making exposure to the vulnerability very limited.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-45709?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Solarwinds Web Help Desk.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-45709?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-45709 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-45709 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-45709 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in SolarWinds Web Help Desk

- [CVE-2025-40551](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-40551/): SolarWinds Web Help Desk Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-26399](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-26399/): SolarWinds Web Help Desk Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-28986](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-28986/): SolarWinds Web Help Desk Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-28987](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-28987/): SolarWinds Web Help Desk Hardcoded Credential (critical 9.1, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-40536](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-40536/): SolarWinds Web Help Desk Security Control Bypass (high 8.1, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-45709 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-45709 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in SolarWinds Web Help Desk, published on 10 Dec 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-45709 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: SolarWinds Web Help Desk. 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-2024-45709/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-45709/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-45709
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-45709
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-45709

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-45709/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.