CVE-2026-45721

Summary

Algernon is a small self-contained pure-Go web server. Prior to 1.17.7, when Algernon is asked for any URL path that resolves to a directory without an index file, DirPage walks upward through parent directories — past the configured server root — looking for a file named handler.lua to execute as the request handler. The loop terminates only after 100 ancestor steps or when filepath.Dir returns ., so on any absolute server-root path the search reaches the filesystem root (/ on Unix, drive letter on Windows). The first handler.lua it finds is loaded into the Lua interpreter with the full Algernon API exposed — including run3(), httpclient, os.execute, io.popen, PQ, MSSQL, raw filesystem access, and the userstate database. Any process that can write handler.lua anywhere in a parent directory of the server root obtains pre-authenticated remote code execution on the next HTTP request. This is reachable without authentication — the lookup happens before the permission check returns a hit (the perm system only gates URL prefixes, not the handler-resolution step), and any URL pointing at a directory without an index triggers the walk. On a fresh stock Algernon install the request GET / is enough. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.17.7.

Affected Software

Weaknesses

• CWE-20: CWE-20: Improper Input Validation
• CWE-426: CWE-426: Untrusted Search Path
• CWE-552: CWE-552: Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties

ADP Enrichment

CISA ADP Vulnrichment

• SSVC:
• Exploitation: poc
  • Automatable: no
  • Technical Impact: total

Additional References

• https://github.com/xyproto/algernon/security/advisories/GHSA-xwcr-wm99-g9jc

References

• https://github.com/xyproto/algernon/security/advisories/GHSA-xwcr-wm99-g9jc

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