CVE-2024-49780
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedIBM OpenPages with Watson 8.3 and 9.0 IBM OpenPages could allow a remote attacker to traverse directories on the system. An attacker with privileges to perform Import Configuration could send a specially crafted http request containing "dot dot" sequences (/../) in the file name parameter used in Import Configuration to write files to arbitrary locations outside of the specified directory and possibly overwrite arbitrary files.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceIBM OpenPages contains a path traversal vulnerability in the Import Configuration feature. An authenticated attacker with Import Configuration privileges can use 'dot dot' sequences (/../) in the file name parameter to write or overwrite files outside the intended directory, potentially leading to arbitrary file overwrite.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data>= 8.3, < 8.3.0.3>= 9.0, < 9.0.0.5CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check IBM OpenPages versionLocate the installed version of IBM OpenPages with Watson. This is typically found in the product's About section, version.info file, or through the administrative console. Common paths include the installation directory or the IBM/WebSphere configuration.Affected if The installed version is >= 8.3 but < 8.3.0.3, OR >= 9.0 but < 9.0.0.5
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Verify Import Configuration feature accessCheck whether the Import Configuration functionality is available to any user. Access the Import Configuration feature through the OpenPages administrative interface or API endpoint and confirm it is enabled.Affected if The Import Configuration feature is enabled and accessible to authenticated users
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Review user privilege assignmentsExamine the role-based access control (RBAC) configuration to identify users or groups assigned the Import Configuration privilege. Look in the OpenPages security settings, user management console, or configuration files.Affected if Any user account has Import Configuration privileges assigned, particularly non-administrator accounts
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Inspect web server logs for path traversal attemptsReview HTTP access logs and application logs for requests to the Import Configuration endpoint containing '../' sequences in file name parameters. Check logs in the WebSphere or HTTP server log directories.Affected if Log entries show path traversal patterns like /../ in file upload or import requests
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Check file system permissions on upload directoriesVerify the permissions on directories where Import Configuration writes files. Identify the target upload directory and confirm whether the application process has write access outside that intended directory.Affected if The application process has write permissions to directories outside the intended Import Configuration upload directory
You are affected if your OpenPages version falls within 8.3.x < 8.3.0.3 or 9.0.x < 9.0.0.5 AND the Import Configuration feature is enabled with accessible privileges.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped8.3.0.39.0.0.5
Implement strict input validation on the file name parameter in Import Configuration to reject path traversal sequences. Consider using allowlist validation and canonicalizing paths before processing.
IBM OpenPages with Watson 8.3.0.3 or later; IBM OpenPages with Watson 9.0.0.5 or later
- 1. Identify the currently installed IBM OpenPages with Watson version (8.x or 9.x)
- 2. If running version 8.3.x (8.3.0.0 - 8.3.0.2), upgrade to version 8.3.0.3 or later
- 3. If running version 9.0.x (9.0.0.0 - 9.0.0.4), upgrade to version 9.0.0.5 or later
- 4. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the product version in the IBM OpenPages administration console
- 5. After upgrade, validate that the Import Configuration functionality works correctly with the security fix applied
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-49780 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-49780 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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