CVE-2025-10854

The txtai framework allows the loading of compressed tar files as embedding indices. While the validate function is intended to prevent path traversal vulnerabilities by ensuring safe filenames, it does not account for symbolic links within the tar file. An attacker is able to write a file anywhere in the filesystem when txtai is used to load untrusted embedding indices

Weakness

The product, when opening a file or directory, does not sufficiently account for when the file is a symbolic link that resolves to a target outside of the intended control sphere. This could allow an attacker to cause the product to operate on unauthorized files.

Potential Mitigations

• Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
• Denying access to a file can prevent an attacker from replacing that file with a link to a sensitive file. Ensure good compartmentalization in the system to provide protected areas that can be trusted.

Related Attack Patterns

• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/27.html

References

• https://github.com/neuml/txtai/issues/965
• https://research.jfrog.com/vulnerabilities/txtai-arbitrary-file-write-jfsa-2025-001471363/