Unrestricted File UploadWeakness · CWE-434

CVE-2024-52490

CRITICAL · 10.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-11-28
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type vulnerability in pathomation Pathomation pathomation allows Upload a Web Shell to a Web Server.This issue affects Pathomation: from n/a through <= 2.5.1.

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 confidence

Unrestricted file upload vulnerability in Pathomation allows attackers to upload dangerous file types (web shells) directly to the web server. This enables remote code execution since the uploaded malicious files can be executed by accessing them via HTTP.

MitigationImplement strict file type validation (whitelist approach), store uploads outside the web root, disable script execution in upload directories, and apply authentication/authorization controls to the upload functionality. Upgrade to a patched version when available.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS 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
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Pathomation installation
    Search the system for Pathomation software components, services, or web applications. Check for directories named 'pathomation' or known application paths in the web server document root.
    Affected if Pathomation software is present on the system
  2. Determine installed version
    Locate version information in Pathomation's installation directory, configuration files, or the application's About/Info page. Compare the found version against any known affected version ranges.
    Affected if The installed version matches or falls within an affected version range (if such ranges become available)
  3. Locate the file upload functionality
    Identify if Pathomation exposes any file upload features (e.g., file attachment upload, image upload, document upload endpoints). Review the application's URL paths and modules for upload-related forms or APIs.
    Affected if The file upload functionality exists and is accessible (even without authentication)
  4. Inspect file type validation configuration
    Review Pathomation's configuration files, upload handler scripts, or web application settings to determine what file extensions are permitted for upload. Look for allowlists or blocklists of file types.
    Affected if The configuration permits executable or scripting file types such as .php, .asp, .jsp, .exe, .sh, or similar extensions that could lead to code execution
  5. Check upload storage location and script execution
    Determine where uploaded files are stored relative to the web server's document root. Verify whether the upload directory has script execution disabled (e.g., via .htaccess, web.config, or server configuration).
    Affected if Uploaded files are stored within the web root and script execution is NOT disabled in that directory

A system is affected if it runs Pathomation with an exposed file upload feature that allows dangerous file types to be stored within the web root where they can be executed.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Implement strict file type validation (whitelist approach), store uploads outside the web root, disable script execution in upload directories, and apply authentication/authorization controls to the upload functionality. Upgrade to a patched version when available.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,980
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Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-52490 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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