CVE-2025-58438 — internetarchive
Fix: jjjake/internetarchive@cba2d45CVE-2025-58438 is a Path Traversal vulnerability in internetarchive. A fix is available for internetarchive — see the affected versions and patch details below.
internetarchive is vulnerable to Directory Traversal through file downloads
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2025-58438.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Real-World Exposure
internetarchiveReal-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
Impact
What kind of vulnerability is it?
This is a Critical severity directory traversal (path traversal) vulnerability in the File.download() method of the internetarchive library.
Who is impacted?
All users of the internetarchive library versions < 5.5.1 are impacted. The vulnerability is particularly critical for users on Windows systems, but all operating systems are affected.
Description of the vulnerability:
The vulnerability existed because the file.download() method did not properly sanitize user-supplied filenames or validate the final download path. A maliciously crafted filename could contain path traversal sequences (e.g., ../../../../windows/system32/file.txt) or illegal characters that, when processed, would cause the file to be written outside of the intended target directory.
Potential Impact: An attacker could potentially overwrite critical system files or application configuration files, leading to a denial of service, privilege escalation, or remote code execution, depending on the context in which the library is used.
Patches
Has the problem been patched? Yes, the problem has been patched.
What versions should users upgrade to? Users must upgrade to version 5.5.1 or later.
Workarounds
Is there a way for users to fix or remediate the vulnerability without upgrading? There is no direct workaround that does not involve upgrading the library. The vulnerability is in the core logic of the file download process.
The only alternative for users who absolutely cannot upgrade is to implement their own custom download function that:
- Manually sanitizes all filenames using a robust method.
- Validates that the resolved absolute path of the download target is within the intended directory before writing any files.
However, this essentially re-implements the fix and is not recommended. Upgrading to the patched version is the only safe and supported solution.
References
- Release Notes for v5.5.1
- Commit with the fix
- CVE Identifier: CVE-2025-58438
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | internetarchive | all versions | 5.5.1pip install --upgrade 'internetarchive==5.5.1' |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for internetarchive, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update internetarchive to 5.5.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2025-58438 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2025-58438 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2025-58438. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2025-58438 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2025-58438 across PyPI dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.