CVE-2024-31850: CData Arc Path Traversal Vulnerability

CVE-2024-31850 Overview

CVE-2024-31850 is a path traversal vulnerability [CWE-22] in the Java version of CData Arc prior to version 23.4.8839 when deployed with the embedded Jetty server. An unauthenticated remote attacker can traverse directories outside the intended web root to access sensitive files and perform limited actions on the host. The flaw is exploitable over the network without user interaction or prior authentication, which significantly broadens the attacker population. CData Arc is a managed file transfer and B2B integration platform, making affected instances likely targets for data theft. The EPSS score of 89.864% places this issue in the 99.591 percentile, indicating a high likelihood of exploitation activity observed across the internet.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated remote attackers can read sensitive files and perform limited actions on vulnerable CData Arc Java deployments via crafted path traversal requests.

Affected Products

• CData Arc (Java edition) versions prior to 23.4.8839
• Deployments using the embedded Jetty server
• B2B integration and managed file transfer workflows hosted on affected Arc instances

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-04-05 - CVE-2024-31850 published to the National Vulnerability Database
• 2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-31850

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in how the embedded Jetty server in CData Arc resolves request paths before serving resources. The server fails to canonicalize and validate user-supplied path segments, permitting traversal sequences such as ../ to escape the intended web directory. An attacker who sends a crafted HTTP request can reach files outside the application's serving scope.

Because the issue is reachable pre-authentication, exposure depends only on network accessibility to the Arc web interface. The confidentiality impact is the primary concern, with attackers able to retrieve configuration files, credentials, transferred payloads, or other artifacts the Arc process can read. The advisory also notes that limited actions can be performed, indicating that traversal extends beyond pure file disclosure in some request contexts. See the Tenable Security Research Advisory for the original technical writeup.

Root Cause

The root cause is insufficient input validation on path components handled by the embedded Jetty server in the Java build of Arc. Normalization occurs after path resolution rather than before, allowing encoded and unencoded traversal sequences to influence which file is ultimately served.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires no privileges or user interaction. An attacker submits an HTTP request containing traversal sequences targeted at the Jetty-hosted endpoints. The server then returns the requested file from a directory outside the intended scope. No exploit code or public proof-of-concept is referenced in the available CVE data beyond the Tenable advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-31850

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP request logs containing ../, ..%2f, ..%5c, or double-encoded traversal sequences targeting the Arc web interface
• Access log entries for files outside the Arc web root such as configuration, key, or credential files
• Successful HTTP 200 responses to requests with unusual path depths or references to filesystem locations like /etc/, WEB-INF, or Arc data directories

Detection Strategies

• Inspect Jetty access.log and reverse proxy logs for path traversal patterns directed at Arc endpoints
• Alert on unauthenticated requests that return non-static file content or unexpected MIME types
• Correlate file read access by the Arc Java process with web request timestamps to detect out-of-scope reads

Monitoring Recommendations

• Forward Arc and Jetty logs to a centralized logging or SIEM platform with retention sufficient for retroactive hunts
• Monitor outbound data volume from Arc hosts to detect bulk exfiltration following traversal access
• Track process file-open events on the Arc host for paths outside its installation directory

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-31850

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade CData Arc Java to version 23.4.8839 or later on all affected instances
• Restrict network exposure of the Arc administrative and web interfaces to trusted source addresses only
• Rotate credentials, API keys, and certificates stored on or processed by Arc if traversal access cannot be ruled out
• Review Arc access and transfer logs for unauthorized reads since the initial publication date

Patch Information

CData addressed the issue in CData Arc Java 23.4.8839. Apply this release or any later version on every Java-based Arc deployment. Refer to the Tenable Security Research Advisory for vendor-confirmed fixed version details.

Workarounds

• Place the Arc web interface behind a reverse proxy or web application firewall that normalizes and rejects path traversal sequences
• Limit the file system permissions of the user account running the Arc Java process to the minimum required directories
• Disable or firewall the embedded Jetty listener from untrusted networks until the patch is applied