CVE-2024-6868: mudler localai Link Following

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2024-6868 is a critical (CVSS 9.8) Link Following vulnerability in mudler localai. EPSS estimates a 1.54% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 74.7% of scored vulnerabilities. 1 public exploit is recorded.

Timeline

1. 29-10-2024
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 15-10-2025
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

mudler/LocalAI version 2.17.1 allows for arbitrary file write due to improper handling of automatic archive extraction. When model configurations specify additional files as archives (e.g., .tar), these archives are automatically extracted after downloading. This behavior can be exploited to perform a 'tarslip' attack, allowing files to be written to arbitrary locations on the server, bypassing checks that normally restrict files to the models directory. This vulnerability can lead to remote code execution (RCE) by overwriting backend assets used by the server.

• CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.