CVE-2024-5986: H2o core H2O Has An External Control Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-wj3h-wx8g-x699
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CVSS 9.1
CWE-73
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2024-5986 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.1) h2o has an external control vulnerability (CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path) affecting H2o core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves h2o has an external control of file name or path vulnerability. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2024-5986 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2024-5986
GHSA Identifier GHSA-wj3h-wx8g-x699
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.1
CWE Classification CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path
Affected Product H2o core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.1

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2024-5986

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected H2o core dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

ai.h2o:h2o-core fixed: Latest secure release 
<dependency>
    <groupId>ai.h2o</groupId>
    <artifactId>h2o-core</artifactId>
    <version>Latest secure release</version>
</dependency>
h2o fixed: Latest secure release 
pip install h2o>=Latest secure release
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=ai.h2o

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2024-5986, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=ai.h2o

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of H2o core in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=ai.h2o command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path, where the product allows user input to control or influence paths or file names that are used in filesystem operations. In H2o core, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

A vulnerability in h2oai/h2o-3 version 3.46.0.1 allows remote attackers to write arbitrary data to any file on the server. This is achieved by exploiting the `/3/Parse` endpoint to inject attacker-controlled data as the header of an empty file, which is then exported using the `/3/Frames/framename/export` endpoint. The impact of this vulnerability includes the potential for remote code execution and complete access to the system running h2o-3, as attackers can overwrite critical files such as private SSH keys or script files.

CVE-2024-5986 Affected H2o core Versions

2 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
ai.h2o:h2o-core
maven/ai.h2o/h2o-core
Maven
≤ 3.46.0.1
h2o
pypi/h2o
PyPI
≤ 3.46.0.1

References

NVD — CVE-2024-5986 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-5986
H2o core Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/h2oai/h2o-3
huntr.com/bounties/64ff5319-6... WEB
https://huntr.com/bounties/64ff5319-6ac3-4447-87f7-b53495d4d5a3

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-5986?
CVE-2024-5986 is a security vulnerability in H2o core involving H2O has an External Control of File Name or Path vulnerability under CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path.
Which H2o core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: ai.h2o:h2o-core, h2o.
What version fixes CVE-2024-5986?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is h2o-core affected?
Yes, ai.h2o:h2o-core is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
Is h2o affected?
Yes, h2o is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2024-5986?
CVE-2024-5986 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.1 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2024-5986?
CVE-2024-5986 is classified under CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path (The product allows user input to control or influence paths or file names that are used in filesystem operations.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2024-5986?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=ai.h2o'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-wj3h-wx8g-x699",
  "modified" : "2026-02-02T22:03:46Z",
  "published" : "2026-02-02T12:31:14Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2024-5986" ],
  "summary" : "H2O has an External Control of File Name or Path vulnerability",
  "details" : "A vulnerability in h2oai/h2o-3 version 3.46.0.1 allows remote attackers to write arbitrary data to any file on the server. This is achieved by exploiting the `/3/Parse` endpoint to inject attacker-controlled data as the header of an empty file, which is then exported using the `/3/Frames/framename/export` endpoint. The impact of this vulnerability includes the potential for remote code execution and complete access to the system running h2o-3, as attackers can overwrite critical files such as private SSH keys or script files.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "ai.h2o:h2o-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "3.46.0.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
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      "name" : "h2o"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "3.46.0.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-5986"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/h2oai/h2o-3"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://huntr.com/bounties/64ff5319-6ac3-4447-87f7-b53495d4d5a3"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-73" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-02T22:03:46Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-02-02T11:16:16Z"
  }
}