Tautulli: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
CVE-2026-52835 is a high-severity improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory vulnerability in Tautulli, with a CVSS 4.0 base score of 7.0 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with administrator privileges, without any action from a user. Affected Tautulli versions: < 2.17.2. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.59% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of Tautulli you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Attack requirements
- NoneThe attack does not depend on a particular deployment or configuration.
- Privileges required
- HighAdministrator-level access is required first.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- NoneNo loss of confidentiality on the vulnerable system.
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of integrity on the vulnerable system.
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of availability on the vulnerable system.
- Confidentiality (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of confidentiality on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Integrity (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of integrity on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Availability (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of availability on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X. Scored by CNA (github.com).
Official description
Tautulli is a Python based monitoring and tracking tool for Plex Media Server. Prior to 2.17.2, the import_config handler and the database_file branch of import_database in plexpy/webserve.py join the attacker-controlled config_file.filename or database_file.filename directly to CACHE_DIR without basename reduction or a containment check. An administrator or caller with the instance API key can submit a multipart filename containing parent-directory segments, causing the upload to be created or overwritten outside CACHE_DIR before file-content validation runs. The write is limited to paths permitted to the Tautulli process, but it can enable configuration tampering, service disruption, or code execution. This issue is fixed in version 2.17.2.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
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.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
- Use an application firewall that can detect attacks against this weakness. It can be beneficial in cases in which the code cannot be fixed (because it is controlled by a third party), as an emergency prevention measure while more comprehensive software assurance measures are applied, or to provide defense in depth.
More Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory vulnerabilities (CWE-22)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
References
Patches and release notes
Other vulnerabilities in Tautulli
- 9.9 Critical severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.9 High severity
- 8.9 High severity
- 7.4 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
Recent Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory vulnerabilities
- 7.1 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.0 High severity
- 7.3 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
Spotted an error? Tell us.