CVE-2026-39305

The Action Orchestrator feature contains a Path Traversal vulnerability that allows an attacker (or compromised agent) to write to arbitrary files outside of the configured workspace directory. By supplying relative path segments (../) in the target path, malicious actions can overwrite sensitive system files or drop executable payloads on the host.

Details

Location: src/praisonai/praisonai/cli/features/action_orchestrator.py (Lines 402, 409, 423)

Vulnerable Code snippet:

target = workspace / step.target

In the _apply_step method, paths are constructed by concatenating the workspace path with a user-supplied step.target string: target = workspace / step.target. The code fails to resolve and validate that the final absolute path remains within the bounds of the workspace directory. When processing FILE_CREATE or FILE_EDIT actions, this flaw permits arbitrary file modification.

PoC

Construct a malicious ActionStep payload with path traversal characters:

from praisonai.cli.features.action_orchestrator import ActionStep, ActionType, ActionStatus

# Payload targeting a file outside the workspace
step = ActionStep(
    id="test_traversal",
    action_type=ActionType.FILE_CREATE,
    description="Malicious file write",
    target="../../../../../../../tmp/orchestrator_pwned.txt",
    params={"content": "pwned"},
    status=ActionStatus.APPROVED
)

# When the orchestrator applies this step, it writes to the traversed path
# _apply_step(step)

This is an Arbitrary File Write vulnerability. Anyone running the Action Orchestrator to apply modifications is vulnerable. A malicious prompt could trick the agent into generating a plan that overwrites critical files (e.g., ~/.ssh/authorized_keys, .bashrc) leading to Remote Code Execution (RCE) or system corruption.

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-2026-39305 has a CVSS score of 9.0 (Critical). The vector is requires local access, no 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 (4.5.113); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2026-39305? CVE-2026-39305 is a critical-severity path traversal vulnerability in PraisonAI (pip), affecting versions <= 4.5.112. It is fixed in 4.5.113. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
2. How severe is CVE-2026-39305? CVE-2026-39305 has a CVSS score of 9.0 (Critical). 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.
3. Which versions of PraisonAI are affected by CVE-2026-39305? PraisonAI (pip) versions <= 4.5.112 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-39305? Yes. CVE-2026-39305 is fixed in 4.5.113. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2026-39305 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-39305 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2026-39305 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2026-39305? Upgrade PraisonAI to 4.5.113 or later.