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TI-2025-18590 Aliases CVE-2025-24888

Path traversal in SecureDrop Client API.download_reply()

Priority LOW 39CWE-22Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
High
Impact type
—
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA.

Summary

The SecureDrop Client is a desktop application for journalists to communicate with sources and work with submissions on the SecureDrop Workstation. Prior to version 0.14.1, a malicious SecureDrop Server could obtain code execution on the SecureDrop Client virtual machine (`sd-app`). SecureDrop Server itself has multiple layers of built-in hardening, and is a dedicated physical machine exposed on the internet only via Tor hidden services for the Source and Journalist interfaces, and optionally via remote SSH access over another Tor hidden service. A newsroom's SecureDrop Workstation communicates only with its own dedicated SecureDrop Server. The SecureDrop Client runs in a dedicated Qubes virtual machine, named `sd-app`, as part of the SecureDrop Workstation. The private OpenPGP key used to decrypt submissions and replies is stored in a separate virtual machine and never accessed directly. The vulnerability lies in the code responsible for downloading replies. The filename of the reply is obtained from the `Content-Disposition` HTTP header and used to write the encrypted reply on disk. Note that filenames are generated and sanitized server-side, and files are downloaded in an encrypted format, so a remote attacker who has not achieved server compromise, such as one posing as a source, could not craft the HTTP response necessary for this attack. While the filename is later checked to guard against path traversal before being moved into the Client’s data storage directory, the file has already been written to a potentially arbitrary location. In this case, `safe_move()` would detect the path traversal and fail, leaving the original downloaded file in the attacker-chosen directory. Code execution can be gained by writing an autostart file in `/home/user/.config/autostart/`. Version 0.14.1 fixes the issue. As of time of publication, there is no known evidence of exploitation in the wild. This attack requires a previously compromised SecureDrop Server.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.01004 63rd percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed securedrop-client (freedomofpress): 0.14.1

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Total

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
freedomofpresssecuredrop-clientbefore 0.14.10.14.1Patch availableCNA
  • securedrop-client Vendorfreedomofpress Affected before 0.14.1 Fixed in 0.14.1 Patch available CNA

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA securedrop-client (freedomofpress) Fixed in 0.14.1

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-24888

References

  • TI-2026-83225 SecureDrop lets API session tokens be reused against the web UI CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.0
  • TI-2025-18591 Path traversal in sd-log Qubes virtual machine CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 4.5
  • TI-2026-36827 securedrop-proxy origin limitation can be bypassed with redirects CVSS 3.1LOW 3.7
  • TI-2026-86124 SecureDrop copies Onion Service credentials to Monitor Server CVSS 3.1LOW 2.6

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences