# CVE-2026-33206: calibre has a path traversal vulnerability

> An attacker can exploit path traversal and missing authentication to exfiltrate arbitrary files from the user's system via the ebook reader web view.

- **Severity:** High 8.2 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 27 Mar 2026
- **Updated:** 27 Mar 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-33206, GHSA-h3p4-m74f-43g6, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-33206

## What is CVE-2026-33206?

CVE-2026-33206 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in kovidgoyal calibre, published on 27 Mar 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

calibre is a cross-platform e-book manager for viewing, converting, editing, and cataloging e-books. Prior to version 9.6.0, a path traversal vulnerability exists in Calibre' handling of images in Markdown and other similar text-based files allowing an attacker to include arbitrary files from the file system into the converted book. Additionally, missing authentication and server-side request forgery in the background-image endpoint in the ebook reader web view allow the files to be exfiltrated without additional interaction. Version 9.6.0 contains a fix.

Weakness: CWE-23 (Relative Path Traversal)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-33206?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Calibre-Ebook Calibre.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-33206?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2026-33206 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-33206 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in kovidgoyal calibre

- [CVE-2011-4124](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-4124/): Command injection in Calibre (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2011-4125](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-4125/): Privilege escalation in Calibre (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-26064](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-26064/): calibre: Path Traversal Vulnerability Enables Arbitrary File Write and Remote Code Execution (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2026-26065](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-26065/): calibre: Path Traversal can Lead to Arbitrary File Write and Potential Code Execution (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2026-25635](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-25635/): calibre has a Path Traversal Leading to Arbitrary File Write and Potential Code Execution (high 8.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-33206 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-33206 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in kovidgoyal calibre, published on 27 Mar 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-33206 exists.

Affected product: kovidgoyal calibre. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33206/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33206/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-33206
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-33206
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-33206

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33206/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.