CVE-2026-44716 Pipecat: Path Traversal in Pipecat Runner `/files` Endpoint — Arbitrary File Read via `%2F`-Encoded Separator
Attackers can read arbitrary files via path traversal in the Pipecat runner's file endpoint when the folder flag is used.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-44716?
CVE-2026-44716 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in pipecat-ai pipecat, published on 9 Jun 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
Pipecat is an open-source Python framework for building real-time voice and multimodal conversational agents. From version 0.0.90 to before version 1.2.0, a path traversal vulnerability exists in Pipecat's development runner (src/pipecat/runner/run.py). When the runner is started with the --folder flag, it exposes a GET /files/{filename:path} download endpoint. The filename path parameter is concatenated directly onto args.folder with no containment check. Starlette normalises literal ../ sequences in URLs, but %2F-encoded slashes bypass this normalisation: the path parameter is URL-decoded after routing, so ..%2F..%2Fetc%2Fpasswd resolves to a path two levels above args.folder. An attacker with network access to the runner can read any file the pipecat process has permission to access — including SSH private keys, credentials, and system files — with a single unauthenticated HTTP request. This issue has been patched in version 1.2.0.
Weakness: CWE-22
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-44716?
3 open source packages ship an affected version, including pipecat-ai. It affects 1 product.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
pipecat-ai PyPI | From 0.0.90 | 1.2.0 |
pipecat-ai PyPI | From 0.0.90 | 1.2.0 |
pipecat-ai PyPI | From 0.0.90 | 1.2.0 |
Products include Pipecat Pipecat.
How do I fix CVE-2026-44716?
Upgrade pipecat-ai to 1.2.0 or later.
Upgrade, and resolve every user-supplied path against an allowed base folder before opening it. More about Path traversal.
Is CVE-2026-44716 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-44716 exists.
Other vulnerabilities in pipecat-ai pipecat
Sources
Also known as GHSA-3363-2ph6-35wh, PYSEC-2026-2877.