Summary
A Path Traversal vulnerability in chat endpoints allows an authenticated attacker to read and delete arbitrary files under their user data root (for example secrets.json and settings.json) by supplying avatar_url="..".
Details
The input validator used by avatar_url blocks only / and NUL bytes, but does not block traversal segments like ...
Evidence:
- Weak validator regex (does not reject
..):
https://github.com/SillyTavern/SillyTavern/blob/b7bb8be35a5c779b4db12a4a5b94d7e49096071c/src/middleware/validateFileName.js#L24-L27 - Vulnerable delete path construction:
https://github.com/SillyTavern/SillyTavern/blob/b7bb8be35a5c779b4db12a4a5b94d7e49096071c/src/endpoints/chats.js#L575-L577 - Vulnerable export path construction:
https://github.com/SillyTavern/SillyTavern/blob/b7bb8be35a5c779b4db12a4a5b94d7e49096071c/src/endpoints/chats.js#L595-L598 - Endpoint auth context (authenticated user access):
https://github.com/SillyTavern/SillyTavern/blob/b7bb8be35a5c779b4db12a4a5b94d7e49096071c/src/server-main.js#L239
Because avatar_url=".." is accepted, path.join(<user>/chats, "..") resolves to <user>/, enabling direct access to files outside the chats directory.
PoC
Prerequisites:
- Valid authenticated session cookie (
cookie.txt) - Valid CSRF token (
$TOKEN)
Read sensitive file (secrets.json):
curl -b cookie.txt -H "x-csrf-token: $TOKEN" -H "content-type: application/json" \
-d '{"avatar_url":"..","is_group":false,"file":"secrets.json","format":"jsonl","exportfilename":"x"}' \
http://TARGET:8000/api/chats/export
Delete sensitive file (settings.json):
curl -b cookie.txt -H "x-csrf-token: $TOKEN" -H "content-type: application/json" \
-d '{"avatar_url":"..","chatfile":"settings.json"}' \
http://TARGET:8000/api/chats/delete
Resolution
The issue was addressed in version 1.17.0
Impact
- Confidentiality: exposed per-user secrets and config data.
- Integrity/Availability: attacker can delete critical per-user files and break account operation.
- Risk is significant in multi-user or remotely reachable deployments.
Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files. Typical impact: unauthorized file read or write outside the intended directory.
CVE-2026-34524 has a CVSS score of 8.3 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (1.17.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Remediation advice
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-34524? CVE-2026-34524 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in sillytavern (npm), affecting versions <= 1.16.0. It is fixed in 1.17.0. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
- How severe is CVE-2026-34524? CVE-2026-34524 has a CVSS score of 8.3 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of sillytavern are affected by CVE-2026-34524? sillytavern (npm) versions <= 1.16.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-34524? Yes. CVE-2026-34524 is fixed in 1.17.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-34524 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-34524 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-34524 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-34524? Upgrade
sillytavernto 1.17.0 or later.