CVE-2024-0520 is a critical-severity (CVSS 10) Path Traversal vulnerability in mlflow. 1 public exploit or proof-of-concept reference is indexed, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for mlflow — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Remote Code Execution due to Full Controlled File Write in mlflow/mlflow
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2024-0520.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
mlflowReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
A vulnerability in mlflow/mlflow version 8.2.1 allows for remote code execution due to improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command ('Command Injection') within the mlflow.data.http_dataset_source.py module. Specifically, when loading a dataset from a source URL with an HTTP scheme, the filename extracted from the Content-Disposition header or the URL path is used to generate the final file path without proper sanitization. This flaw enables an attacker to control the file path fully by utilizing path traversal or absolute path techniques, such as '../../tmp/poc.txt' or '/tmp/poc.txt', leading to arbitrary file write. Exploiting this vulnerability could allow a malicious user to execute commands on the vulnerable machine, potentially gaining access to data and model information. The issue is fixed in version 2.9.0.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | mlflow | all versions | 2.9.0pip install --upgrade 'mlflow==2.9.0' |
Affected Products
mlflowlfprojectsResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for mlflow, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update mlflow to 2.9.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2024-0520 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Stop passing untrusted input into the interpreter or shell: call the affected binary with an argument array rather than a composed command string, reject anything outside a strict allowlist of expected values, and run the component under an account that cannot reach beyond the work it legitimately does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2024-0520 in your dependencies?
Find it across PyPI, including transitive dependencies.