CVE-2026-66881
Received Received - Intake

Relative Path Traversal in Livebook

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-66881, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-08-05

Last updated on: 2026-08-05

Assigner: EEF

Description

Relative Path Traversal vulnerability in livebook-dev livebook allows an attacker-authored notebook to write a file with attacker-controlled content to an arbitrary path. A .livemd notebook can declare file_entries metadata, each entry carrying a name. Every path that creates a file entry through the user interface validates that name with Livebook.Notebook.validate_file_entry_name/2, which requires a flat filename of alphanumerics, dashes, underscores and dots, ending in an extension. The import path does not: Livebook.LiveMarkdown.Import.file_entry_metadata_to_attrs/1 in lib/livebook/live_markdown/import.ex takes the name verbatim from the notebook source. For a URL-type file entry, Livebook.Session.file_entry_cache_file/2 in lib/livebook/session.ex resolves that name beneath the session's temporary directory without checking that the result stays inside it, and Livebook.FileSystem.Utils.resolve_unix_like_path/2 collapses parent-directory segments while clamping only at the filesystem root. When the entry's content is requested and no cached copy exists, Livebook fetches the entry's URL and writes the response body to the resolved path, creating parent directories as needed. The attacker therefore controls both the destination and the contents of the written file, which may land anywhere the Livebook process can write. The same missing containment check is present in Livebook.Session.to_attachment_file_entry/2. A victim who opens an attacker-supplied notebook and causes the entry to be fetched triggers the write within their own authenticated session; the attacker needs no account on the target instance. URL-type entries are also not placed under notebook stamping quarantine on import, so no warning is shown. This issue affects livebook: from 0.11.0 before 0.18.7 and from 0.19.0 before 0.19.9.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-05
Last Modified
2026-08-05
Generated
2026-08-06
AI Q&A
2026-08-05
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 4 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
livebook livebook From 0.11.0 (inc) to 0.18.7 (exc)
livebook livebook From 0.19.0 (inc) to 0.19.9 (exc)
livebook-dev livebook From 0.11.0 (inc) to 0.18.7 (exc)
livebook-dev livebook From 0.19.0 (inc) to 0.19.9 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-23 The product uses external input to construct a pathname that should be within a restricted directory, but it does not properly neutralize sequences such as ".." that can resolve to a location that is outside of that directory.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

This is a Relative Path Traversal vulnerability in Livebook where an attacker can craft a notebook that writes files to arbitrary paths on the system. The vulnerability occurs because file paths from attacker-controlled notebooks are not properly validated, allowing them to escape intended directories and write files anywhere the Livebook process has write permissions.

Detection Guidance

Check for unauthorized file writes in Livebook session directories or temporary folders. Look for files created outside expected paths, especially those with suspicious names or content. Review Livebook logs for entries fetching external URLs or writing files to unexpected locations.

Impact Analysis

An attacker can write malicious files to sensitive locations on your system by tricking you into opening a specially crafted notebook. This could lead to code execution, data theft, or system compromise. The attack requires no authentication and works by exploiting path resolution flaws in Livebook's file handling.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could potentially violate compliance with GDPR and HIPAA by allowing unauthorized file writes to arbitrary system locations. Attackers could write sensitive data or malicious files outside intended directories, risking data leakage or system compromise. The lack of proper path validation undermines secure file handling practices required by these regulations.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade Livebook to version 0.18.7 or later if using 0.11.0-0.18.6, or to 0.19.9 or later if using 0.19.0-0.19.8. Avoid opening untrusted notebooks and restrict file entry permissions in Livebook configurations.

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