Path Traversal in Datasets Through 5.0.0

Executive Summary

This is a path traversal vulnerability in Hugging Face's datasets library (versions up to 5.0.0). It occurs in folder-based dataset builders where the file_name metadata field is not properly validated before being joined to the dataset directory. Attackers can craft file_name values with directory traversal sequences like ../ to read arbitrary local files. These files are then embedded into output when functions like save_to_disk or push_to_hub are called.

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Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, inspect datasets using folder-based builders (imagefolder, audiofolder, videofolder, pdffolder) for metadata files (metadata.jsonl, metadata.csv, metadata.parquet) containing file_name fields with path traversal sequences like ../ or absolute paths. Check for suspicious file reads during save_to_disk or push_to_hub operations.

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Impact Analysis

If you use affected versions of the Hugging Face datasets library, an attacker could create a malicious dataset that reads sensitive files from your system when you load it. These files could then be included in any output generated by save_to_disk or push_to_hub, potentially exposing confidential data. The impact includes unauthorized file access and potential data leakage.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive personal or health data, violating GDPR and HIPAA requirements for data protection and confidentiality. Organizations using affected versions may face compliance violations, legal penalties, and reputational damage due to potential data breaches resulting from this flaw.

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Mitigation Strategies

Update the Hugging Face datasets library to a version containing the fix (commit f989ef9 or later). Validate file_name fields in metadata to ensure they resolve within the dataset directory using os.path.realpath and os.path.commonpath. Remove any datasets with malicious file_name values.

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