---
title: Potential path traversal from request
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: >-
  Docs > Datadog Security > Code Security > Static Code Analysis (SAST) > SAST
  Rules > Potential path traversal from request
---

# Potential path traversal from request

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## Metadata{% #metadata %}

**ID:** `java-security/path-traversal-file-read`

**Language:** Java

**Severity:** Error

**Category:** Security

**CWE**: [22](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/22.html)

**Related CWEs**:

- [23](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/23.html)
- [36](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/36.html)

## Description{% #description %}

The filename of the file being opened comes from an input parameter. If an unfiltered parameter is passed to the API, any location on the filesystem can be read.

#### Learn More{% #learn-more %}

- [Potential File Traversal](https://find-sec-bugs.github.io/bugs.htm#PATH_TRAVERSAL_IN)
- [CWE-22 - Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/22.html)

## Non-Compliant Code Examples{% #non-compliant-code-examples %}

```java
class MyClass {

    @GET
    @Path("/images/{image}")
    @Produces("images/*")
    public Response getImage(@javax.ws.rs.PathParam("image") String image) {
        File file = new File("resources/images/", image); //Weak point

        if (!file.exists()) {
            return Response.status(Status.NOT_FOUND).build();
        }

        return Response.ok().entity(new FileInputStream(file)).build();
    }

}
```

## Compliant Code Examples{% #compliant-code-examples %}

```java
import org.apache.commons.io.FilenameUtils;

class MyClass {

    @GET
    @Path("/images/{image}")
    @Produces("images/*")
    public Response getImage(@javax.ws.rs.PathParam("image") String image) {
        File file = new File("resources/images/", FilenameUtils.getName(image)); //Fix

        if (!file.exists()) {
            return Response.status(Status.NOT_FOUND).build();
        }

        return Response.ok().entity(new FileInputStream(file)).build();
    }

    @GET
    @Path("/images/{image}")
    @Produces("images/*")
    public Response getImage(@javax.ws.rs.PathParam("image") String image) {
        File file = new File("resources/images/", image2); //Weak point

        if (!file.exists()) {
            return Response.status(Status.NOT_FOUND).build();
        }

        return Response.ok().entity(new FileInputStream(file)).build();
    }

}
```
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