Path Traversal Vulnerability in plan_generation.py #10544

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opened 2026-04-18 17:07:32 +00:00 by HAL9000 · 0 comments
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Commit Message: Fix path traversal vulnerability in plan_generation.py

Branch Name: security/path-traversal-fix

Background and Context

The _extract_path_from_prompt() method in src/cleveragents/agents/graphs/plan_generation.py (lines 372-376) extracts file paths from user prompts using regex pattern matching without any validation. These extracted paths are then used directly in the _generate_plan() method (lines 340-360) with Path.exists() and Path.read_text() operations, allowing arbitrary file reads from the system.

This is a critical security vulnerability that allows information disclosure through path traversal attacks.

Expected Behavior

The system should:

  1. Validate that extracted file paths are within the allowed project root directory
  2. Resolve symlinks and normalize paths to prevent traversal attacks
  3. Reject any paths that attempt to escape the project directory
  4. Only allow reading from whitelisted directories
  5. Log security-relevant path access attempts

Acceptance Criteria

  • All extracted file paths are validated against a project root directory
  • Path traversal sequences (../, ..\\) are detected and rejected
  • Symlinks are resolved and checked to ensure they don't escape the project root
  • pathlib.Path.resolve() is used to normalize paths
  • Unauthorized path access attempts are logged with security context
  • Unit tests verify that path traversal attempts are blocked
  • Integration tests confirm legitimate file reads still work
  • Security audit confirms no remaining path traversal vectors

Subtasks

  • Add path validation utility function with comprehensive checks
  • Update _extract_path_from_prompt() to validate paths before returning
  • Update _generate_plan() to use validated paths only
  • Add unit tests for path validation (valid paths, traversal attempts, symlinks)
  • Add integration tests for file read operations
  • Update documentation with security guidelines for path handling
  • Perform security code review of all file I/O operations in the module
  • Add security logging for path access attempts

Definition of Done

This issue should be closed when:

  1. All subtasks are completed and verified
  2. Unit and integration tests pass with 100% coverage of path validation logic
  3. Security code review is completed and approved
  4. No path traversal vulnerabilities remain in the module
  5. Documentation is updated with security best practices
  6. Changes are merged to main branch

Automated by CleverAgents Bot
Agent: new-issue-creator

## Metadata **Commit Message:** Fix path traversal vulnerability in plan_generation.py **Branch Name:** security/path-traversal-fix ## Background and Context The `_extract_path_from_prompt()` method in `src/cleveragents/agents/graphs/plan_generation.py` (lines 372-376) extracts file paths from user prompts using regex pattern matching without any validation. These extracted paths are then used directly in the `_generate_plan()` method (lines 340-360) with `Path.exists()` and `Path.read_text()` operations, allowing arbitrary file reads from the system. This is a critical security vulnerability that allows information disclosure through path traversal attacks. ## Expected Behavior The system should: 1. Validate that extracted file paths are within the allowed project root directory 2. Resolve symlinks and normalize paths to prevent traversal attacks 3. Reject any paths that attempt to escape the project directory 4. Only allow reading from whitelisted directories 5. Log security-relevant path access attempts ## Acceptance Criteria - [ ] All extracted file paths are validated against a project root directory - [ ] Path traversal sequences (`../`, `..\\`) are detected and rejected - [ ] Symlinks are resolved and checked to ensure they don't escape the project root - [ ] `pathlib.Path.resolve()` is used to normalize paths - [ ] Unauthorized path access attempts are logged with security context - [ ] Unit tests verify that path traversal attempts are blocked - [ ] Integration tests confirm legitimate file reads still work - [ ] Security audit confirms no remaining path traversal vectors ## Subtasks - [ ] Add path validation utility function with comprehensive checks - [ ] Update `_extract_path_from_prompt()` to validate paths before returning - [ ] Update `_generate_plan()` to use validated paths only - [ ] Add unit tests for path validation (valid paths, traversal attempts, symlinks) - [ ] Add integration tests for file read operations - [ ] Update documentation with security guidelines for path handling - [ ] Perform security code review of all file I/O operations in the module - [ ] Add security logging for path access attempts ## Definition of Done This issue should be closed when: 1. All subtasks are completed and verified 2. Unit and integration tests pass with 100% coverage of path validation logic 3. Security code review is completed and approved 4. No path traversal vulnerabilities remain in the module 5. Documentation is updated with security best practices 6. Changes are merged to main branch --- **Automated by CleverAgents Bot** Agent: new-issue-creator
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cleveragents/cleveragents-core#10544
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