GHSA-4q5v-7g7x-j79w is a high-severity (CVSS 8.4) Path Traversal vulnerability in compliance-trestle. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-4q5v-7g7x-j79w is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
compliance-trestle - jinja has an Arbitrary File Write via Path Traversal
Real-World Exposure
compliance-trestle🐍compliance-trestleReal-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
Relevant Products/Components:
trestle/core/commands/author/jinja.pytrestle author jinja
Detailed Description:
The -o/--output argument in trestle author jinja allows writing files outside the intended workspace.
The application does not properly validate:
../..\- absolute paths
This allows arbitrary file write to attacker-controlled locations.
Vulnerable code:
output_file = trestle_root / r_output_file
An attacker can overwrite files such as:
.github/workflows/*.yml.git/hooks/*- user writable config files
This can lead to CI/CD compromise or local code execution.
Steps To Reproduce:
- Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/oscal-compass/compliance-trestle.git
cd compliance-trestle
- Create template:
echo "hello" > template.j2
- Run:
trestle author jinja -i template.j2 -o "subdir\..\..\..\..\..\poc.txt"
- Observe:
dir E:\poc.txt
The file is written outside the repository workspace.
Browsers Verified In:
Not browser related.
Tested on:
- Windows 11
- Python 3.13
Supporting Material/References:
Affected file:
trestle/core/commands/author/jinja.py
Successfully verified:
- directory traversal using
../ - Windows traversal using
..\ - arbitrary file write outside workspace
Access Vector Required for Exploitation:
Local
Vulnerability Exists in Default Configuration?:
Yes
Is the exploitation trivial or does it involve a multi-step process that may depend on user/victim interaction?:
Trivial. Single command execution.
Exploitation Requires Authentication?:
No
Under what privileges does the vulnerable service or component run?:
Runs with privileges of the user executing the trestle command.
Impact
An attacker can write files outside the intended workspace directory and overwrite sensitive files writable by the current user.
Possible impacts include:
- overwriting
.github/workflows/*.ymlto execute attacker-controlled GitHub Actions workflows - overwriting
.git/hooks/*for local code execution - modifying user configuration files such as
.bashrc - tampering with repository files and generated compliance artifacts
In CI/CD environments, this may result in execution of attacker-controlled commands on build runners.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | compliance-trestle | ≥ 4.0.0&&< 4.0.3 | 4.0.3 |
| 🐍PyPI | compliance-trestle | all versions | 3.12.2 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for compliance-trestle. 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 compliance-trestle to 4.0.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-4q5v-7g7x-j79w 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 GHSA-4q5v-7g7x-j79w 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 GHSA-4q5v-7g7x-j79w. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-4q5v-7g7x-j79w in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-4q5v-7g7x-j79w across PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.