Gradio Absolute Path Traversal Vulnerability on Windows with Python 3.13+

A path traversal vulnerability has been identified in Gradio, an open-source Python package for quick prototyping. This issue affects Gradio versions prior to 6.7 and arises in applications running on Windows with Python 3.13 or later. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to read arbitrary files from the file system. The root cause lies in a change in Python 3.13+ that altered the definition of 'os.path.isabs', causing root-relative paths to be incorrectly treated as non-absolute. This flaw disrupts Gradio's path handling logic, creating an opportunity for file read attacks, even in authenticated sessions.

Impact

Exploitation of this vulnerability allows for arbitrary file reading from the Windows file system, in the context of the user running the Gradio application.

Reproduction

To reproduce this vulnerability, run a Gradio application on Windows with Python 3.13 or later. An unauthenticated user can then send a request to the Gradio server, targeting a root-relative path such as '/windows/win.ini'. The server will respond with the contents of the requested file, demonstrating the path traversal exploit.

Remediation

Users can upgrade to Gradio version 6.7 or later to address this vulnerability.