CVE-2026-40156
CWE-94Published: April 10, 2026· Updated: Apr 13, 2026
Official Description
PraisonAI is a multi-agent teams system. Prior to 4.5.128, PraisonAI automatically loads a file named tools.py from the current working directory to discover and register custom agent tools. This loading process uses importlib.util.spec_from_file_location and immediately executes module-level code via spec.loader.exec_module() without explicit user consent, validation, or sandboxing. The tools.py file is loaded implicitly, even when it is not referenced in configuration files or explicitly requested by the user. As a result, merely placing a file named tools.py in the working directory is sufficient to trigger code execution. This behavior violates the expected security boundary between user-controlled project files (e.g., YAML configurations) and executable code, as untrusted content in the working directory is treated as trusted and executed automatically. If an attacker can place a malicious tools.py file into a directory where a user or automated system (e.g., CI/CD pipeline) runs praisonai, arbitrary code execution occurs immediately upon startup, before any agent logic begins. This vulnerability is fixed in 4.5.128.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-40156 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
Exploitation does not require any privileges, though user interaction (Required) is needed, which slightly reduces the risk of mass automated attacks.
A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.8.
A proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit exists for CVE-2026-40156. While not yet confirmed in active campaigns, the availability of PoC code increases exploitation risk substantially.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Exploit & PoC Resources
All References (2)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-94)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-40156 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts