Summary
Anki's local HTTP server does not sufficiently validate requests
Anki launches a local HTTP server to serve media files and web pages for parts of its interface. While the server has a CORS setup, requests from other origins were not blocked, allowing malicious websites to potentially trigger side-effecting requests.
Browser impact
The severity varies by browser because of Private Network Access (PNA), a newer spec that restricts web pages from making requests to localhost/local network addresses:
Chrome/Chromium (including Edge, Brave): Largely protected, as Chrome has implemented PNA restrictions for several years and now puts local network access behind a permission prompt.
Safari: Hasn't implemented PNA yet, though macOS has some OS-level protections.
Firefox: Most vulnerable, hasn't implemented PNA yet, though it's reportedly planned for Firefox 151.
The issue was fixed as of Anki 25.09.3
References
Impact
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.
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-59153? CVE-2026-59153 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in aqt (pip), affecting versions <= 25.9.2. It is fixed in 25.9.3. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
- Which versions of aqt are affected by CVE-2026-59153? aqt (pip) versions <= 25.9.2 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-59153? Yes. CVE-2026-59153 is fixed in 25.9.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-59153 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-59153 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-2026-59153 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-2026-59153? Upgrade
aqtto 25.9.3 or later.