# CVE-2026-42078: PPTAgent: Arbitrary File Write + Directory Creation via markdown_table_to_image

> Attackers can write arbitrary files and create directories via the markdown_table_to_image function in PPTAgent.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.6 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 4 May 2026
- **Updated:** 4 May 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-hrcw-xc63-g29m, PYSEC-2026-2893

## What is CVE-2026-42078?

CVE-2026-42078 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in icip-cas PPTAgent, published on 4 May 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

PPTAgent is an agentic framework for reflective PowerPoint generation. Prior to commit 418491a, PPTAgent is vulnerable to arbitrary file write and directory creation via markdown_table_to_image. This issue has been patched via commit 418491a.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-42078?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including pptagent.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `pptagent` | PyPI | All versions | 1.1.36 |
| `pptagent` | PyPI | All versions | 1.1.36 |
| `pptagent` | PyPI | All versions | 1.1.36 |

## How do I fix CVE-2026-42078?

Upgrade pptagent to 1.1.36 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-42078 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-42078 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-42078 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-42078 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in icip-cas PPTAgent, published on 4 May 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-42078 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- pptagent (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 1.1.36
- pptagent (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 1.1.36
- pptagent (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 1.1.36

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-2026-42078/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-42078/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-42078
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42078
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-42078

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-42078/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.