# CVE-2025-24786: WhoDB - Path Traversal

> Live exploitation tracking for CVE-2025-24786 by the CrowdSec Live Exploit Tracker, built from real-world attack data crowdsourced from CrowdSec's global network.

Page: https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2025-24786

## Key facts

- **Exploitation phase:** Limited Exploitation. The vulnerability is known but shows very limited attacker interest or exploitation activity.
- **CVSS score:** 7.5
- **Public exploit available:** Yes
- **Affected products:** Clidey WhoDB
- **Weaknesses:** CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal'))
- **Tags:** web_application

## Description

WhoDB contains a path traversal caused by lack of validation when opening database files, letting unauthenticated attackers access arbitrary Sqlite3 databases on the host system. The exploit requires the attacker to manipulate the database filename input.

## CrowdSec analysis

[CVE-2025-24786](https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/CVE-2025-24786) is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Clidey WhoDB prior to version 0.45.0. Due to missing validation on database filename inputs, unauthenticated attackers can traverse the file system and access arbitrary Sqlite3 databases on the host, potentially exposing sensitive data.

CrowdSec has been tracking this vulnerability and its exploits since 29th of January 2025.

CrowdSec network observations suggest that most exploitation of CVE-2025-24786 involves focused reconnaissance to identify viable targets. Attackers typically tailor their campaigns based on system exposure and configuration. It is unlikely that a given attack is accidental.
Telemetry from the CrowdSec network also shows that exploitation activity for CVE-2025-24786 remains steady week-over-week. Attack volumes are consistent with long-term trends, indicating sustained interest from threat actors. CVE-2025-24786 continues to be an active part of the threat landscape and will likely remain this way for the forseeable future.

Attackers exploit the `/api/query` endpoint by sending POST requests with a crafted JSON body containing path traversal sequences (e.g., `../`) in the `variables.credentials.Database` field to access arbitrary Sqlite3 databases.

## Timeline

- 2025-01-29: CVE Published. CVE-2025-24786 is published to NVD.
- 2025-01-29: Rule Released. CrowdSec releases a rule to detect CVE-2025-24786 exploitation attempts against the CrowdSec Network.
- 2026-03-27: CrowdSec First Seen. CrowdSec observes in-the-wild exploitation of CVE-2025-24786 for the first time.

## References

- https://github.com/clidey/whodb/security/advisories/GHSA-9r4c-jwx3-3j76
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-24786
- https://github.com/clidey/whodb
- https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2025/CVE-2025-24786.yaml

## Live exploitation data

The [Live Exploit Tracker page](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2025-24786) follows observed exploitation activity for CVE-2025-24786. [Request an API key](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/request-api-key) for full access to its exploitation timeline, attacking IP addresses and blocklists.