CVE-2026-48126 HIGH

CVE-2026-48126: Algernon: Host header path traversal in --domain mode reads files and runs Lua from parent dir

Vendor Xyproto
Product algernon
Weakness CWE-22 · Path traversal
Published May 26, 2026
Last update May 26, 2026

CVSS base score

8.2/10
Attack vector Network
Attack complexity Low
Privileges required None
User interaction None
Confidentiality High
Integrity Low

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N

What the vulnerability does

01Description

Algernon is a small self-contained pure-Go web server. Prior to 1.17.8, when algernon is started with --domain (or --letsencrypt, which silently turns on --domain at engine/flags.go:372), the request handler resolves the served directory by joining the configured --dir with the value of the client-supplied Host header. The join is performed by filepath.Join with no validation, so a Host: .. header walks one level above the document root. Subsequent file resolution then exposes everything in that parent directory — arbitrary file read, full directory listing, and, if any .lua file is present, server-side Lua execution. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.17.8.

Key dates

02Disclosure timeline

May 26, 2026 CVE published
May 26, 2026 Record updated