CVE-2026-75859

Received Received - Intake

CodeWhale Path Traversal in Project Config

Publication date: 2026-08-18

Last updated on: 2026-08-20

Assigner: VulnCheck

Description

CodeWhale versions before 0.8.64 fail to validate file paths in the project config instructions field, allowing attackers to read arbitrary files on the victim's system. A malicious .codewhale/config.toml file in a cloned repository can specify paths outside the workspace that are read and injected into the AI system prompt for exfiltration.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-18

Last Modified

2026-08-20

Generated

2026-09-07

AI Q&A

2026-08-18

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-06

NVD

CVE-2026-75859

EUVD

EUVD-2026-60966

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
codewhale	codewhale	to 0.8.64 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-22	The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-75859 is a path traversal vulnerability in CodeWhale versions before 0.8.64. It allows attackers to read arbitrary files on a victim's system by injecting malicious file paths into the project configuration instructions field. A malicious .codewhale/config.toml file in a cloned repository can specify paths outside the workspace, which are then read and injected into the AI system prompt for data exfiltration.

Detection Guidance

Check for CodeWhale versions before 0.8.64 by running: npm list -g codewhale or codewhale --version. Inspect cloned repositories for .codewhale/config.toml files with instructions arrays pointing to sensitive paths like ~/.ssh/id_rsa or ~/.aws/credentials.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive files such as SSH keys, AWS credentials, or environment files. Attackers can exfiltrate this data through AI system prompts, potentially compromising user accounts, cloud services, or other secure systems. Exploitation requires a victim to clone and run CodeWhale in a malicious repository without requiring user confirmation.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability can result in unauthorized exposure of sensitive personal or health data, violating GDPR and HIPAA compliance. GDPR requires protection of personal data, while HIPAA mandates safeguards for protected health information. A breach could lead to legal penalties, reputational damage, and loss of trust due to non-compliance with these regulations.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade CodeWhale to version 0.8.64 or later. Add instructions to the DENY_AT_PROJECT_SCOPE list or enforce workspace path validation. Avoid cloning and running CodeWhale in untrusted repositories.

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