GHSA-5JV7-2MJM-H6QJ

The published npm package praisonai ships dist/tools/utility-tools.js, which exports a shell(command) helper described in source as:

Execute shell command (safe version - read-only commands)

The helper attempts to enforce a safe read-only command allowlist by checking only the first whitespace-delimited token:

const safeCommands = ['ls', 'cat', 'head', 'tail', 'wc', 'grep', 'find', 'echo', 'date', 'pwd', 'which'];
const firstWord = command.split(/\s+/)[0];

if (!safeCommands.includes(firstWord)) {
    return { success: false, error: `Command not allowed: ${firstWord}` };
}

It then passes the entire original string to Node child_process.exec():

const { stdout, stderr } = await execAsync(command, { timeout: 5000 });

Because exec() runs the command through a shell, a command string that starts with an allowed command can append a second non-allowlisted command with shell metacharacters. For example, direct printf <marker> is rejected, but echo ok; printf <marker> is accepted and executes printf.

This bypasses the helper's safe-command policy and allows arbitrary shell commands to run with the PraisonAI process privileges when an application, agent, or integration exposes this helper to lower-trust users, prompts, model output, or plugin/tool input.

The PoV is deterministic and local-only. It installs only the npm package, runs harmless marker commands, and does not contact any live service after installation.

Technical Details

utility-tools.shell() authorizes one token but executes the full shell string.

Source-head implementation:

export async function shell(command: string): Promise<ToolResult<string>> {
    // Only allow safe read-only commands
    const safeCommands = ['ls', 'cat', 'head', 'tail', 'wc', 'grep', 'find', 'echo', 'date', 'pwd', 'which'];
    const firstWord = command.split(/\s+/)[0];

    if (!safeCommands.includes(firstWord)) {
        return { success: false, error: `Command not allowed: ${firstWord}` };
    }

    try {
        const { exec } = await import('child_process');
        const { promisify } = await import('util');
        const execAsync = promisify(exec);

        const { stdout, stderr } = await execAsync(command, { timeout: 5000 });
        return { success: true, data: stdout || stderr };
    } catch (error: any) {
        return { success: false, error: error.message ?? String(error) };
    }
}

The published npm:[email protected] dist file preserves the same behavior:

• exports.shell = shell
• const firstWord = command.split(/\s+/)[0]
• if (!safeCommands.includes(firstWord)) ...
• const { stdout, stderr } = await execAsync(command, { timeout: 5000 })

This creates a policy/parser differential: PraisonAI checks only the first token, while the shell parses the full string as a script.

Why This Is Not Intended Behavior

The helper is explicitly documented in code as a "safe version" for read-only commands and contains an allowlist of specific safe commands. The control test proves that non-allowlisted commands are intended to be blocked: direct printf <marker> returns Command not allowed: printf.

The same helper accepting echo ok; printf <marker> is therefore a bypass of the intended safe-command boundary, not merely a permissive command runner.

This is also consistent with Node's own guidance for shell execution: child_process.exec() runs through a shell, and shell metacharacters can change which commands execute. The fix should make PraisonAI's authorization boundary match what is actually executed.

PoV

Run from a local reproduction checkout:

node poc/pov_poc.js 1.7.1

Observed output summary from evidence/pov-npm-1.7.1.json:

{
  "package": "npm:praisonai",
  "version": "1.7.1",
  "installedPackageVersion": "1.7.1",
  "commands": {
    "directDisallowedCommand": "printf poc.7.1",
    "benignAllowedCommand": "echo poc",
    "chainedBypassCommand": "echo poc; printf poc.7.1"
  },
  "controls": {
    "directDisallowedRejected": true,
    "benignAllowedAccepted": true,
    "patchedControlRejectsChainedShell": true
  },
  "observed": {
    "directDisallowed": {
      "success": false,
      "error": "Command not allowed: printf"
    },
    "chainedBypass": {
      "success": true,
      "data": "poc\npoc.7.1"
    }
  },
  "vulnerable": true
}

Interpretation:

• Direct printf <marker> is rejected because printf is not in safeCommands.
• Benign echo ... is accepted.
• echo ...; printf <marker> is accepted because the first token is echo.
• The shell then executes the non-allowlisted printf command.
• A patched-control validator that rejects shell metacharacters before execution blocks the chained command while still allowing benign echo.

The PoV uses only harmless marker output. It does not read system files, leak environment variables, call external services, or run destructive commands.

PoC

The PoV section above contains the local reproduction command, input, and decisive output.

Severity

Suggested severity: High.

Rationale:

• AV: common PraisonAI use is a network-facing application, agent API, or tool integration that accepts user or prompt-controlled tasks.
• AC: a single command string beginning with an allowed command is sufficient.
• PR: conservative scoring assumes the attacker can submit prompts or work items to the application using this helper.
• UI: no further operator interaction is required once the command reaches the helper.
• S: impact is within the PraisonAI-hosting process and its host context.
• C/I/A: arbitrary shell commands can affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability depending on process privileges.

If maintainers score only direct local library use, AV:L may be reasonable. If a deployment exposes this helper through unauthenticated agent/tool endpoints, PR:N may be reasonable.

Affected Package/Versions

• Repository: MervinPraison/PraisonAI
• Ecosystem: npm
• Package: praisonai
• Component: TypeScript utility tools helper src/praisonai-ts/src/tools/utility-tools.ts
• Published dist path: node_modules/praisonai/dist/tools/utility-tools.js
• Latest npm package validated: 1.7.1
• Current origin/main validated: 1ad58ca02975ff1398efeda694ea2ab78f20cf3e
• src/praisonai-ts/package.json at origin/main: praisonai 1.7.1

Suggested affected range:

npm:praisonai >= 1.5.1, <= 1.7.1

All published npm 1.x versions were swept locally:

• 1.0.0 through 1.5.0: dist/tools/utility-tools.js was not present in the tested package.
• 1.5.1, 1.5.2, 1.5.3, 1.5.4, 1.6.0, 1.7.0, and 1.7.1: vulnerable.

The npm package has no exports map and ships dist in its files list, so the affected helper is importable as a package subpath:

const { shell } = require("praisonai/dist/tools/utility-tools.js");

The root package entry point does not appear to re-export this helper directly. This report is scoped to the shipped npm subpath and the TypeScript source that generates it.

Advisory History

Visible PraisonAI advisories and prior submissions were checked. The closest known issues are adjacent but distinct:

• GHSA-vjv9-7m7j-h833 covers npm TypeScript SandboxExecutor.allowedCommands in src/cli/features/sandbox-executor.ts, where a caller-supplied allowlist is checked before spawn("sh", ["-c", command]).
• This report covers npm TypeScript utility-tools.shell() in src/tools/utility-tools.ts, where a built-in "safe read-only commands" allowlist is checked before child_process.exec(command).
• Fixing only SandboxExecutor leaves this helper unchanged.
• The public Python/PyPI command-injection advisories cover different packages, files, and execution paths, such as Python execute_command, run_python(), memory hooks, and subprocess sandbox code.

This is a sibling-callsite variant of the same mature allowlist/shell-parser class, but it is not the same function, policy surface, affected version range, or shipped import path as the prior npm SandboxExecutor advisory.

If lower-trust users, prompts, model output, plugins, or tool input can influence a command string passed to utility-tools.shell(), the safe-command allowlist does not restrict execution to the intended read-only commands. An attacker can append arbitrary shell commands after an allowed first token and run them with the PraisonAI process privileges.

Concrete consequences depend on the embedding application and process privileges, but can include:

• reading files and secrets available to the process;
• modifying files or project state;
• invoking local tools and package managers;
• network exfiltration if the host permits egress; and
• denial of service by running expensive commands.

This report does not claim that npm PraisonAI exposes this helper as a default unauthenticated network service. It is a library-level safe-command wrapper bypass in a shipped npm subpath.

Untrusted input reaches a shell command, allowing arbitrary commands to run on the host. Typical impact: code execution in the application's environment.

GHSA-5JV7-2MJM-H6QJ has a CVSS score of 8.8 (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 (1.7.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Avoid passing policy-checked strings to a shell.

Recommended:

1. Replace exec(command) with execFile() or spawn(command, args, { shell: false }).
2. Require callers to pass { command, args } instead of a shell string, or parse the shell string into argv with a shell-aware parser before policy checks.
3. Apply the allowlist to the exact executable that will be invoked.
4. Reject shell metacharacters (;, &&, ||, |, backticks, $(), redirects, newlines) if a string API must remain available.
5. Add regression tests proving that echo ok is allowed while printf marker, echo ok; printf marker, echo ok && printf marker, and echo ok | printf marker are rejected.

If this helper is not intended to be public, also consider adding a package exports map that exposes only supported public API paths.

1. What is GHSA-5JV7-2MJM-H6QJ? GHSA-5JV7-2MJM-H6QJ is a high-severity OS command injection vulnerability in praisonai (npm), affecting versions >= 1.5.1, <= 1.7.1. It is fixed in 1.7.2. Untrusted input reaches a shell command, allowing arbitrary commands to run on the host.
2. How severe is GHSA-5JV7-2MJM-H6QJ? GHSA-5JV7-2MJM-H6QJ has a CVSS score of 8.8 (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.
3. Which versions of praisonai are affected by GHSA-5JV7-2MJM-H6QJ? praisonai (npm) versions >= 1.5.1, <= 1.7.1 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for GHSA-5JV7-2MJM-H6QJ? Yes. GHSA-5JV7-2MJM-H6QJ is fixed in 1.7.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is GHSA-5JV7-2MJM-H6QJ exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-5JV7-2MJM-H6QJ 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 GHSA-5JV7-2MJM-H6QJ 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 GHSA-5JV7-2MJM-H6QJ? Upgrade praisonai to 1.7.2 or later.