CVE-2026-42448
LOWCVE-2026-42448 is a low-severity (CVSS 3.5) vulnerability in magic-wormhole. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2026-42448 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
wormhole receive, with --output pointing at an existing directory can be path-traversed
Real-World Exposure
magic-wormholeReal-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
Magic Wormhole makes it possible to get arbitrary-sized files and directories from one computer to another. Prior to 0.24.0, there is a path traversal when a receiver who specifies "--output <dir>" where that output directory currently exists (as a directory). This vulnerability is fixed in 0.24.0.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | magic-wormhole | ≥ 0.23.0&&< 0.24.0 | 0.24.0 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for magic-wormhole. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update magic-wormhole to 0.24.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-42448 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2026-42448 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2026-42448. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-42448 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2026-42448 across PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.