CVE-2026-44022

Workarounds

Avoid processing untrusted LaTeX documents. If processing is necessary, run in a sandboxed environment with restricted file system access.

References

• Fix release: v2.91.0

The LaTeX backend's handling of \includegraphics, \input, and \include commands lacked path containment validation. Attackers could craft malicious LaTeX documents with path traversal sequences (e.g., ../../../etc/passwd) to:

• Read arbitrary files from the file system accessible to the process
• Include sensitive files in the converted document output
• Potentially access configuration files, credentials, or other sensitive data

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-2026-44022 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, no privileges required, and user interaction required. 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 (2.91.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Fixed in version 2.91.0. The fix implements strict path validation using Path.resolve().is_relative_to() to ensure all resolved paths remain within the base document directory. Attempts to traverse outside the base directory are logged and blocked.

1. What is CVE-2026-44022? CVE-2026-44022 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in docling (pip), affecting versions >= 2.73.0, < 2.91.0. It is fixed in 2.91.0. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
2. How severe is CVE-2026-44022? CVE-2026-44022 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). 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 docling are affected by CVE-2026-44022? docling (pip) versions >= 2.73.0, < 2.91.0 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44022? Yes. CVE-2026-44022 is fixed in 2.91.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2026-44022 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-44022 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-2026-44022 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-2026-44022? Upgrade docling to 2.91.0 or later.