# CVE-2026-72903: Tabby: Windows SFTP path traversal allows a malicious server to write files outside the selected download directory

> A malicious SFTP server can write files outside the download directory in Tabby terminal emulator on Windows, potentially leading to code execution.

- **Severity:** High 8.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** 10 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 11 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-59p9-8gwf-v9v7

## What is CVE-2026-72903?

CVE-2026-72903 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Eugeny tabby, published on 10 Aug 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

Tabby (formerly Terminus) is a highly configurable terminal emulator. Prior to 1.0.235, a malicious SFTP server can return a backslash traversal filename through entry.name. In tabby-ssh/src/session/sftp.ts, SFTPSession.readdir() and _makeFile() use POSIX path processing that preserves the backslashes as ordinary filename characters. In tabby-ssh/src/components/sftpPanel.component.ts, downloadFolderRecursive() propagates item.name into the local relative path. In tabby-electron/src/services/platform.service.ts, ElectronDirectoryDownload.createFile() passes that path to Windows-native path.join(), and in tabby-electron/src/sftpContextMenu.ts, EditSFTPContextMenu.edit() passes item.name to path.join() for the temporary edit path. Windows interprets the preserved backslashes and parent-directory components as traversal, allowing attacker-controlled content to be created or overwritten outside the selected download directory or temporary edit directory. This issue is fixed in version 1.0.235.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-72903?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-72903?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-72903 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-72903 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-72903 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-72903 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-72903 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Eugeny tabby, published on 10 Aug 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: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-72903 exists.

Affected product: Eugeny tabby. 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-2026-72903/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72903/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72903
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72903
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-72903

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72903/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.