chartbrew: External Control of File Name or Path
CVE-2026-85736 is a high-severity external control of file name or path vulnerability in chartbrew, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected chartbrew versions: < 5.2.3. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.2% 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 chartbrew 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.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- NoneNo data is disclosed.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (github.com).
Official description
Chartbrew is an open-source web application that can connect directly to databases and APIs and use the data to create charts. Prior to 5.2.3, connection creation or update stored attacker-chosen absolute SSL and SSH file paths, and later connection cleanup passed those stored paths to fs.unlink without a path restriction. The vulnerable surface is data-connection certificate and SSH-key cleanup when a connection is removed. A user with createOwn and deleteOwn permissions on their own team stores a target path in a connection and then deletes the connection to trigger cleanup; default self-signup grants teamOwner these permissions. The cleanup routine treats the stored SSL or SSH path as a managed certificate path and unlinks the referenced file; duplicateConnection provides a second advisory-identified trigger. The attacker must be able to create or update and then delete a connection on their own team. The default container runs Chartbrew as uid 0, while deployments with a less-privileged process are limited by that process's deletion permissions. The attacker can delete files such as /code/.env or application source, causing integrity loss and service disruption. This issue is fixed in version 5.2.3.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: External Control of File Name or Path
The product allows user input to control or influence paths or file names that are used in filesystem operations.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- When the set of filenames is limited or known, create a mapping from a set of fixed input values (such as numeric IDs) to the actual filenames, and reject all other inputs. For example, ID 1 could map to inbox.txt and ID 2 could map to profile.txt. Features such as the ESAPI AccessReferenceMap provide this capability.
- Run your code in a jail or similar sandbox environment that enforces strict boundaries between the process and the operating system. This may effectively restrict all access to files within a particular directory. Examples include the Unix chroot jail and AppArmor. In general, managed code may provide some protection. This may not be a feasible solution, and it only limits the impact to the operating system; the rest of your application may still be subject to compromise. Be careful to avoid CWE-243 and other weaknesses related to jails.
- 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.
More External Control of File Name or Path vulnerabilities (CWE-73)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Other vulnerabilities in chartbrew
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.3 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
Recent External Control of File Name or Path vulnerabilities
- 8.1 High severity
- 8.4 High severity
- 8.7 High severity
- 8.0 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 9.2 Critical severity
Spotted an error? Tell us.