# CVE-2024-56142: Path Traversal in pghoard

> Attackers can exploit path traversal in pghoard to access files with the daemon's privileges, potentially disclosing sensitive information.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.8 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 17 Dec 2024
- **Updated:** 18 Dec 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-m9hc-vxjj-4x6q, PYSEC-2026-1778

## What is CVE-2024-56142?

CVE-2024-56142 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Aiven-Open pghoard, published on 17 Dec 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

pghoard is a PostgreSQL backup daemon and restore tooling that stores backup data in cloud object stores. A vulnerability has been discovered that could allow an attacker to acquire disk access with privileges equivalent to those of pghoard, allowing for unintended path traversal. Depending on the permissions/privileges assigned to pghoard, this could allow disclosure of sensitive information. This issue has been addressed in releases after 2.2.2a. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-56142?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including pghoard.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `pghoard` | PyPI | All versions | 2.6.1-rc |
| `pghoard` | PyPI | All versions | 2.6.1-rc |
| `pghoard` | PyPI | All versions | 2.6.1-rc |

## How do I fix CVE-2024-56142?

Upgrade pghoard to 2.6.1-rc or later.

## Is CVE-2024-56142 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-56142 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-56142 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-56142 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Aiven-Open pghoard, published on 17 Dec 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-56142 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- pghoard (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.6.1-rc
- pghoard (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.6.1-rc
- pghoard (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.6.1-rc

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-2024-56142/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-56142/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-56142
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-56142
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-56142

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-56142/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.