GHSA-Q9M2-FHV9-3JCF
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-05-08 17:31 – Updated: 2026-05-08 17:31Summary
validate_path_security uses string-prefix containment (startswith) for boundary checks. This allows paths that are outside the intended project directory but share its prefix string (e.g., /tmp/potato_proj_demo_evil/... vs /tmp/potato_proj_demo) to be accepted.
Details
Affected source location (root cause)
File: potato/server_utils/config_module.py
Snippet (lines 370–373):
real_path = os.path.realpath(normalized_path)
real_base = os.path.realpath(base_dir)
if not real_path.startswith(real_base):
raise ConfigSecurityError(...)
Snippet (lines 384–389):
real_path = os.path.realpath(normalized_path)
check_dir = project_dir if project_dir else base_dir
real_check_dir = os.path.realpath(check_dir)
if not real_path.startswith(real_check_dir):
raise ConfigSecurityError(...)
startswith() is string-based, so /tmp/potato_proj_demo_evil/... passes when checked against /tmp/potato_proj_demo.
Confirmed affected call sites
File: potato/server_utils/config_module.py
1) validate_file_paths task_dir branch (line 2113)
validated_task_dir = validate_path_security(task_dir, project_dir)
2) validate_file_paths data_files branch (line 2151)
validated_path = validate_path_security(file_path, base_dir, project_dir)
3) validate_training_config training.data_file branch (line 2286)
validated_path = validate_path_security(data_file, base_dir, project_dir)
PoC
from potato.server_utils.config_module import validate_path_security
base = '/tmp/potato_proj_demo'
vuln = '/tmp/potato_proj_demo_evil/file.txt'
try:
print('inside=', validate_path_security('/tmp/potato_proj_demo/file.txt', base, base))
except Exception as e:
print('inside_error=', type(e).__name__, e)
try:
validate_path_security('/tmp/other_demo/file.txt', base, base)
except Exception as e:
print('baseline=', type(e).__name__, e)
print('trigger=', validate_path_security(vuln, base, base))
Impact
- Can allow unauthorized sibling-prefix file access outside intended project boundary.
- Can affect read paths (
data_files,training.data_file,base_css,header_logo) and output/path placement depending on configuration.
{
"affected": [
{
"package": {
"ecosystem": "PyPI",
"name": "potato-annotation"
},
"ranges": [
{
"events": [
{
"introduced": "2.0.0"
},
{
"fixed": "2.4.5"
}
],
"type": "ECOSYSTEM"
}
]
}
],
"aliases": [],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22"
],
"github_reviewed": true,
"github_reviewed_at": "2026-05-08T17:31:07Z",
"nvd_published_at": null,
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "## Summary\n`validate_path_security` uses string-prefix containment (`startswith`) for boundary checks. This allows paths that are **outside** the intended project directory but share its prefix string (e.g., `/tmp/potato_proj_demo_evil/...` vs `/tmp/potato_proj_demo`) to be accepted.\n\n## Details\n### Affected source location (root cause)\n**File:** `potato/server_utils/config_module.py`\n\n**Snippet (lines 370\u2013373):**\n```python\nreal_path = os.path.realpath(normalized_path)\nreal_base = os.path.realpath(base_dir)\nif not real_path.startswith(real_base):\n raise ConfigSecurityError(...)\n```\n\n**Snippet (lines 384\u2013389):**\n```python\nreal_path = os.path.realpath(normalized_path)\ncheck_dir = project_dir if project_dir else base_dir\nreal_check_dir = os.path.realpath(check_dir)\nif not real_path.startswith(real_check_dir):\n raise ConfigSecurityError(...)\n```\n\n`startswith()` is string-based, so `/tmp/potato_proj_demo_evil/...` passes when checked against `/tmp/potato_proj_demo`.\n\n### Confirmed affected call sites\n**File:** `potato/server_utils/config_module.py`\n\n1) `validate_file_paths` task_dir branch (line 2113)\n```python\nvalidated_task_dir = validate_path_security(task_dir, project_dir)\n```\n\n2) `validate_file_paths` data_files branch (line 2151)\n```python\nvalidated_path = validate_path_security(file_path, base_dir, project_dir)\n```\n\n3) `validate_training_config` training.data_file branch (line 2286)\n```python\nvalidated_path = validate_path_security(data_file, base_dir, project_dir)\n```\n\n## PoC\n```python\nfrom potato.server_utils.config_module import validate_path_security\n\nbase = \u0027/tmp/potato_proj_demo\u0027\nvuln = \u0027/tmp/potato_proj_demo_evil/file.txt\u0027\n\ntry:\n print(\u0027inside=\u0027, validate_path_security(\u0027/tmp/potato_proj_demo/file.txt\u0027, base, base))\nexcept Exception as e:\n print(\u0027inside_error=\u0027, type(e).__name__, e)\n\ntry:\n validate_path_security(\u0027/tmp/other_demo/file.txt\u0027, base, base)\nexcept Exception as e:\n print(\u0027baseline=\u0027, type(e).__name__, e)\n\nprint(\u0027trigger=\u0027, validate_path_security(vuln, base, base))\n```\n\n## Impact\n- Can allow unauthorized sibling-prefix file access outside intended project boundary.\n- Can affect read paths (`data_files`, `training.data_file`, `base_css`, `header_logo`) and output/path placement depending on configuration.",
"id": "GHSA-q9m2-fhv9-3jcf",
"modified": "2026-05-08T17:31:07Z",
"published": "2026-05-08T17:31:07Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/davidjurgens/potato/security/advisories/GHSA-q9m2-fhv9-3jcf"
},
{
"type": "PACKAGE",
"url": "https://github.com/davidjurgens/potato"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
],
"summary": "`potato-annotation` has a Project-Boundary Bypass"
}
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