# CVE-2026-55201: Evil-WinRM - Path Traversal in download_dir() Function

> A compromised remote server can exploit path traversal in Evil-WinRM to overwrite client files, enabling persistent access or privilege escalation.

- **Severity:** High 7.4 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 17 Jun 2026
- **Updated:** 14 Jul 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-fpgm-mcvj-627x

## What is CVE-2026-55201?

CVE-2026-55201 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Hackplayers evil-winrm, published on 17 Jun 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Evil-WinRM through 3.9, fixed in commit 6ecd570, contains a path traversal vulnerability in the download_dir() function that allows a rogue or compromised remote Windows server to write files outside the intended download directory by returning filenames with traversal sequences from Get-ChildItem command output that are passed unsanitized to File.join(). Attackers controlling the remote server can exploit this to overwrite sensitive client-side files such as SSH authorized_keys or shell configuration files, achieving persistent access or privilege escalation on the client machine.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-55201?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-55201?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-55201 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-55201 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-55201 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-55201 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-55201 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Hackplayers evil-winrm, published on 17 Jun 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-55201 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Hackplayers evil-winrm. 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-2026-55201/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-55201/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-55201
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-55201
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-55201

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-55201/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.