CVE-2026-35615

Executive Summary:

The path validation has a critical logic bug: it checks for .. AFTER normpath() has already collapsed all .. sequences. This makes the check completely useless and allows trivial path traversal to any file on the system.
The path validation function also does not resolve the symlink wich could potentially cause path traversal.

Details:

_validate_path() calls os.path.normpath() first, which collapses .. sequences, then checks for '..' in normalized. Since .. is already collapsed, the check always passes.

Vulnerable File:
src/praisonai-agents/praisonaiagents/tools/file_tools.py

Lines:
42-49

class FileTools:
    """Tools for file operations including read, write, list, and information."""
    
    @staticmethod
    def _validate_path(filepath: str) -> str:
        # Normalize the path
        normalized = os.path.normpath(filepath)
        absolute = os.path.abspath(normalized)
        
        # Check for path traversal attempts (.. after normalization)
        # We check the original input for '..' to catch traversal attempts
        if '..' in normalized:
            raise ValueError(f"Path traversal detected: {filepath}")
        
        return absolute

Severity: CRITICAL

CVSS v3.1: 9.2 (CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:N/SA:N

CWE: CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

Proof of concept (PoC)

Prerequisites:

• Ability to specify a file path can call file operations

Steps to reproduce:
poc.py

from praisonaiagents.tools.file_tools import FileTools

print(FileTools._validate_path('/tmp/../etc/passwd'))
# Returns: /etc/passwd

print(FileTools.read_file('/tmp/../etc/passwd'))
# Returns: content of /etc/passwd

Why this works:

# Current vulnerable code:
normalized = os.path.normpath(filepath)  # Collapses .. HERE
absolute = os.path.abspath(normalized)
if '..' in normalized:  # Check AFTER collapse - ALWAYS FALSE!
    raise ValueError(...)

Additional Notes:

• Fix: Check for '..' in filepath BEFORE calling normpath(), not after
• _validate_path uses os.path.normpath and os.path.abspath, which don't resolve symlinks, making it vulnerable to path traversal via symlink if attacker can control the symlink.

• Complete bypass of path traversal protection
• Access to ANY file on the system with path from any starting directory
• Read sensitive files: /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, ~/.ssh/id_rsa
• Write arbitrary files if combined with write operations
• Affect file operations read_file, write_file, list_files, get_file_info, copy_file, move_file, delete_file, download_file

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.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2026-35615? CVE-2026-35615 is a critical-severity path traversal vulnerability in PraisonAI (pip), affecting versions <= 1.5.112. It is fixed in 1.5.113. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
2. Which versions of PraisonAI are affected by CVE-2026-35615? PraisonAI (pip) versions <= 1.5.112 is affected.
3. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-35615? Yes. CVE-2026-35615 is fixed in 1.5.113. Upgrade to this version or later.
4. Is CVE-2026-35615 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-35615 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
5. What actually determines whether CVE-2026-35615 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.
6. How do I fix CVE-2026-35615? Upgrade PraisonAI to 1.5.113 or later.