Local File Inclusion (LFI) via URI Fragment Parsing in mlflow/mlflow

Root

Cause

CVE-2024-2928 is a Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability in mlflow/mlflow affecting version 2.9.2, fixed in 2.11.3. The root cause is the application's failure to properly validate URI fragments for directory traversal sequences such as ../. An attacker can manipulate the fragment part of a URI to bypass previous validation that only covered the query string, allowing arbitrary file reads from the local file system [1][4].

Exploitation

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker needs to craft a URI with a malicious fragment containing directory traversal patterns (e.g., #/../../etc/passwd). The flaw lies in the incomplete validation: while query strings are checked, fragments are not, enabling traversal outside intended directories. No authentication is explicitly required; the attacker can send a specially crafted request to the MLflow server [1][3].

Impact

Successful exploitation allows the attacker to read sensitive files on the server, including /etc/passwd and potentially other configuration files or data. This can lead to information disclosure that may aid further attacks or expose credentials. The LFI is a bypass of a prior incomplete fix, emphasizing the need for comprehensive URI validation [1].

Mitigation

Users should upgrade to MLflow version 2.11.3 or later, which includes a fix that validates both query strings and fragments in artifact locations [4]. No workaround is provided; patching is the recommended action. This CVE is not listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog as of publication.