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open-webui: Path traversal in cache file serving allows reading sibling directories

A path traversal vulnerability in open-webui's cache file serving endpoint allows authenticated users to read files from sibling directories whose names start with 'cache' (e.

18 Jun 2026Read 1 minSeverity: schedule it

What changed

A path traversal vulnerability in open-webui's cache file serving endpoint allows authenticated users to read files from sibling directories whose names start with 'cache' (e.g., cache_sibling, cache_backup). The bug is in serve_cache_file() which uses file_path.startswith(os.path.abspath(CACHE_DIR)) without a trailing os.sep, enabling a narrow bypass.

Who it affects

Any authenticated user (role 'user' or 'admin') can read files from sibling directories that start with 'cache' located adjacent to the configured CACHE_DIR. Deep traversal and absolute paths are blocked.

What to do today

Apply the suggested fix by appending os.sep to the prefix in the startswith check: change 'file_path.startswith(os.path.abspath(CACHE_DIR))' to 'file_path.startswith(os.path.abspath(CACHE_DIR) + os.sep)'.

The trail
Collected Audited Written Published