CVE-2026-53554 SQLBot: Arbitrary File Write via parseExcel Leading to Code Execution Through Alembic Import Processing
Attackers can upload malicious Python files via path traversal in the Excel parsing endpoint, leading to remote code execution during application startup.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- An administrator
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- A user has to click or open something
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-53554?
CVE-2026-53554 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in dataease SQLBot, published on 17 Sep 2026. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Official description
SQLBot is an intelligent Text-to-SQL system based on large language models and RAG. Prior to 1.9.0, the POST /api/v1/datasource/parseExcel endpoint in backend/apps/datasource/api/datasource.py uses attacker-controlled multipart filename data when selecting where uploaded content is stored, writes the content before spreadsheet parsing and validation finish, and can transform a double-extension filename into a Python source file. An attacker able to submit a crafted multipart upload can use these behaviors to place attacker-controlled content in /opt/sqlbot/app/alembic/versions/ even when a spreadsheet parsing failure after the file write causes the endpoint to return an error. The planted file remains on disk, and subsequent SQLBot startup or migration processing causes Alembic to import the module and execute its module-level statements in the SQLBot application runtime. This issue is fixed in version 1.9.0.
Weakness: CWE-22
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-53554?
How do I fix CVE-2026-53554?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-53554 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade, and resolve every user-supplied path against an allowed base folder before opening it. More about Path traversal.
Is CVE-2026-53554 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-53554 exists.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-wxv4-pw5w-wx79.