Secret disclosure via pre-approval environment expansion
Published Apr 9, 2026 · Updated Apr 9, 2026
Information disclosure in PraisonAI praisonaiagents before 1.5.128 allows remote attackers to read environment-variable secrets via tool calls. The execute_command function in shell_tools.py expands every argument with os.path.expandvars after approval, so a displayed literal variable reference becomes secret-bearing process input. Exploitation requires an agent workflow to accept attacker-controlled instructions and invoke the shell tool; approved or auto-approved calls can disclose process environment secrets without modifying data or interrupting service.
Summary
What happened
Information disclosure in PraisonAI praisonaiagents before 1.5.128 allows remote attackers to read environment-variable secrets via tool calls. The execute_command function in shell_tools.py expands every argument with os.path.expandvars after approval, so a displayed literal variable reference becomes secret-bearing process input. Exploitation requires an agent workflow to accept attacker-controlled instructions and invoke the shell tool; approved or auto-approved calls can disclose process environment secrets without modifying data or interrupting service.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-40153
- Published
- Apr 9, 2026
- Updated
- Apr 9, 2026
- Vendor
- PraisonAI
- Product
- praisonaiagents
- Classifications
- CWE-526, T1552
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 9, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 9, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=< 1.5.128
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Vendor advisory environment-variable exfiltration proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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