Open WebUI Path Traversal (CVE-2026-44565) Allows Arbitrary File Upload

The National Vulnerability Database has detailed CVE-2026-44565, a critical path traversal vulnerability in Open WebUI, a self-hosted, offline-first AI platform. Prior to version 0.6.10, the platform failed to validate or sanitize filenames during audio file uploads. This flaw permitted authenticated users to inject dot-segments into file paths, enabling directory traversal.

This vulnerability, rated 8.1 (HIGH) on the CVSS scale, effectively allows an attacker to upload files to any location on the filesystem where the web server process has write permissions. This isn’t just about defacing a web root; it’s about potentially dropping webshells, configuration files, or even malicious executables, leading to full system compromise.

The attacker’s calculus here is straightforward: gain initial access (which usually means a valid user account, as indicated by the ‘PR:L’ in the CVSS vector), then leverage this path traversal to establish persistence or escalate privileges. Defenders need to understand that ‘self-hosted’ doesn’t mean ‘self-secure’. Any platform allowing file uploads is a prime target for this type of vulnerability.