{"id":"PYSEC-2026-3901","summary":"praisonaiagents: ast_grep_rewrite rewrites arbitrary files without the @require_approval gate enforced on every sibling mutation tool","details":"**Target:** PraisonAI (`MervinPraison/PraisonAI`)\n**Affected component:** `praisonaiagents/tools/ast_grep_tool.py` — `ast_grep_rewrite`\n**Affected versions:** master at `ce97667156a116c50b4a3d1aa21e09f048903fda`; reproduced against the current `praisonaiagents` PyPI release (`praisonaiagents` \u003c= 1.6.52).\n\n## Summary\n\nTools in `praisonaiagents/tools/` that modify on-disk state or run code are uniformly wrapped with `@require_approval`, which routes the call through an interactive approval flow before the body runs and fails closed — on denial (or with no approval backend configured) it raises `PermissionError` and the side effect does not occur. This is applied at every sibling mutation entry point:\n\n| File | Line | Symbol | Risk level |\n|---|---|---|---|\n| `file_tools.py` | 212 | `copy_file` | high |\n| `file_tools.py` | 239 | `move_file` | high |\n| `file_tools.py` | 266 | `delete_file` | high |\n| `edit_tools.py` | 38 | `EditTools.edit_file` | high |\n| `edit_tools.py` | 155 | `edit_file` | high |\n| `shell_tools.py` | 32 | `execute_command` | critical |\n| `python_tools.py` | 352 | `execute_code` | critical |\n\n`ast_grep_tool.py:149` `ast_grep_rewrite` is structurally a sibling of these but has no decorator and no `from ..approval import require_approval` import. With `dry_run=False` (LLM-controllable), it builds `sg --pattern \u003cP\u003e --rewrite \u003cR\u003e --lang \u003cL\u003e --update-all \u003cpath\u003e` (lines 204–211) and calls `subprocess.run(cmd, ...)` (line 215), modifying every file under `path` matching the pattern. There is no approval gate, no `_validate_path` workspace check, and no `cwd=` sandboxing. The function is registered as a top-level tool (`__init__.py:182`) and exposed via the `code_intelligence` built-in profile (`profiles.py`).\n\nA secondary defect: on the `dry_run=False` path `ast_grep_rewrite` returns the literal string `No changes made` to the caller even when it modified files (the \"No changes made\" return at `ast_grep_tool.py:230` is reached on this path), so an operator inspecting tool output sees no record that a write occurred.\n\n## Proof of concept\n\nSingle script, clean venv, `praisonaiagents` from PyPI, `ast-grep` CLI installed. `PRAISONAI_AUTO_APPROVE` is removed from the environment first, so no env-bypass is in play.\n\n```python\nimport os, tempfile, textwrap\nos.environ.pop(\"PRAISONAI_AUTO_APPROVE\", None)\n\nworkdir = tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix=\"poc-\")\ntarget = os.path.join(workdir, \"target.py\")\nopen(target, \"w\").write(textwrap.dedent(\"\"\"\n    def safe_function(x):\n        return x + 1\n\n    def hello(name):\n        return 'hi ' + name\n\"\"\"))\n\n# Positive: undecorated tool rewrites the file.\nfrom praisonaiagents.tools.ast_grep_tool import ast_grep_rewrite\nast_grep_rewrite(\n    pattern=\"def $FN($$$): return $$$\",\n    replacement=\"def $FN($$$): import os; os.environ['POC_CANARY']='1'; return $$$\",\n    lang=\"python\", path=workdir, dry_run=False,\n)\n\n# Negative control: decorated sibling triggers the approval flow.\nfrom praisonaiagents.tools.edit_tools import edit_file\nedit_file(file_path=target, old_text=\"def hello(name):\", new_text=\"def hello(name):  # X\")\n```\n\nResult, verified: `ast_grep_rewrite` rewrote `target.py` to contain the injected `import os; os.environ['POC_CANARY']='1'` payload, no approval prompt fired, and the call returned `No changes made`. The subsequent `edit_file` call in the same process rendered the Tool Approval Required panel and, on denial, raised `PermissionError(\"Execution of edit_file denied: User denied\")` without modifying its target. Same process, same approval backend — the only difference is the missing decorator on `ast_grep_rewrite`.\n\n## Threat model\n\nAn LLM agent running locally whose tool surface includes `ast_grep_rewrite` (via the `code_intelligence` profile or direct import). Triggers: the operator asks the agent to refactor code, or prompt-injection in fetched docs / RAG context / any LLM-visible input steers the agent to call `ast_grep_rewrite` with attacker-chosen `pattern`, `replacement`, and `path` (the `dry_run` field is in the LLM-visible tool schema, so `dry_run=False` is requestable). The agent can then rewrite any file the host process can write — source trees, build configs, dotfiles, the agent's own source. With `path=\"/\"` the rewrite is filesystem-wide. Because the rewrite injects arbitrary text, pointing it at a file that is later imported or executed turns this write primitive into code execution — the basis for the escalation noted in the CVSS line. No operator prompt and no audit record of the modification.\n\n## Suggested fix\n\n```diff\n--- a/praisonaiagents/tools/ast_grep_tool.py\n+++ b/praisonaiagents/tools/ast_grep_tool.py\n@@\n from praisonaiagents._logging import get_logger\n from typing import Optional, List\n+from ..approval import require_approval\n@@\n+@require_approval(risk_level=\"high\")\n def ast_grep_rewrite(\n     pattern: str,\n     replacement: str,\n```\n\n`high` matches the file-modifying siblings; `critical` is defensible given the write→exec escalation. In the same patch: add a `_validate_path` workspace boundary check (cf. `edit_tools.py:27`); fix the `No changes made` return so it reflects actual modifications; apply the decorator to `ast_grep_scan` (`ast_grep_tool.py:243`) if it can write. `ast_grep_search` is read-only and can stay undecorated. A regression test asserting `ast_grep_rewrite` requires approval (alongside the other mutation tools) would have caught this at review time.\n\n## Coordinated disclosure\n\n- Kai Aizen / SnailSploit — `kai@snailsploit.com` — PGP on request.","aliases":["CVE-2026-55530","GHSA-cfxv-8fw8-rwpv"],"modified":"2026-09-10T12:15:08.169889032Z","published":"2026-09-10T09:44:54.465281Z","references":[{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/MervinPraison/PraisonAI/security/advisories/GHSA-cfxv-8fw8-rwpv"},{"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/praisonaiagents"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-cfxv-8fw8-rwpv"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-55530"}],"affected":[{"package":{"name":"praisonaiagents","ecosystem":"PyPI","purl":"pkg:pypi/praisonaiagents"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"1.6.58"}]}],"versions":["0.0.1","0.0.10","0.0.100","0.0.101","0.0.102","0.0.103","0.0.104","0.0.105","0.0.106","0.0.107","0.0.108","0.0.109","0.0.11","0.0.110","0.0.111","0.0.112","0.0.113","0.0.114","0.0.115","0.0.116","0.0.117","0.0.118","0.0.119","0.0.12","0.0.120","0.0.121","0.0.122","0.0.123","0.0.124","0.0.125","0.0.126","0.0.127","0.0.128","0.0.129","0.0.13","0.0.130","0.0.131","0.0.132","0.0.133","0.0.134","0.0.135","0.0.136","0.0.137","0.0.138","0.0.139","0.0.14","0.0.140","0.0.141","0.0.142","0.0.143","0.0.144","0.0.145","0.0.146","0.0.147","0.0.148","0.0.149","0.0.15","0.0.150","0.0.151","0.0.152","0.0.153","0.0.154","0.0.155","0.0.156","0.0.157","0.0.158","0.0.159","0.0.16","0.0.160","0.0.161","0.0.162","0.0.163","0.0.164","0.0.165","0.0.166","0.0.167","0.0.168","0.0.169","0.0.17","0.0.170","0.0.171","0.0.172","0.0.173","0.0.174","0.0.175","0.0.176","0.0.177","0.0.178","0.0.179","0.0.18","0.0.180","0.0.181","0.0.182","0.0.183","0.0.184","0.0.185","0.0.187","0.0.188","0.0.189","0.0.19","0.0.190","0.0.191","0.0.192","0.0.193","0.0.194","0.0.195","0.0.196","0.0.197","0.0.198","0.0.199","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","0.0.51","0.0.52","0.0.53","0.0.54","0.0.56","0.0.57","0.0.58","0.0.59","0.0.6","0.0.60","0.0.61","0.0.62","0.0.63","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","0.0.75","0.0.76","0.0.77","0.0.78","0.0.79","0.0.8","0.0.80","0.0.81","0.0.82","0.0.83","0.0.84","0.0.85","0.0.86","0.0.87","0.0.88","0.0.89","0.0.9","0.0.90","0.0.91","0.0.92","0.0.93","0.0.94","0.0.95","0.0.96","0.0.97","0.0.98","0.0.99","0.1.0","0.1.1","0.1.10","0.1.11","0.1.12","0.1.13","0.1.14","0.1.15","0.1.16","0.1.17","0.1.18","0.1.19","0.1.2","0.1.20","0.1.21","0.1.22","0.1.23","0.1.24","0.1.25","0.1.26","0.1.27","0.1.3","0.1.4","0.1.5","0.1.6","0.1.7","0.1.8","0.1.9","0.10.0","0.10.1","0.10.10","0.10.2","0.10.3","0.10.4","0.10.5","0.10.6","0.10.7","0.10.8","0.10.9","0.11.0","0.11.1","0.11.10","0.11.11","0.11.12","0.11.13","0.11.14","0.11.15","0.11.16","0.11.17","0.11.18","0.11.19","0.11.2","0.11.20","0.11.21","0.11.22","0.11.23","0.11.24","0.11.25","0.11.27","0.11.28","0.11.29","0.11.3","0.11.30","0.11.31","0.11.4","0.11.5","0.11.6","0.11.7","0.11.8","0.11.9","0.12.0","0.12.1","0.12.10","0.12.11","0.12.12","0.12.13","0.12.14","0.12.15","0.12.16","0.12.17","0.12.18","0.12.19","0.12.2","0.12.20","0.12.21","0.12.3","0.12.4","0.12.5","0.12.6","0.12.7","0.12.8","0.12.9","0.13.0","0.13.1","0.13.10","0.13.11","0.13.12","0.13.13","0.13.14","0.13.15","0.13.16","0.13.17","0.13.18","0.13.19","0.13.2","0.13.20","0.13.21","0.13.22","0.13.23","0.13.3","0.13.4","0.13.5","0.13.6","0.13.7","0.13.8","0.13.9","0.14.0","0.14.1","0.14.10","0.14.11","0.14.12","0.14.14","0.14.15","0.14.16","0.14.2","0.14.3","0.14.4","0.14.5","0.14.6","0.14.7","0.14.8","0.14.9","0.15.0","0.15.1","0.15.2","0.15.3","0.2.0","0.2.1","0.2.2","0.3.0","0.3.1","0.3.2","0.3.3","0.3.4","0.4.0","0.4.1","0.5.0","0.5.1","0.5.2","0.5.3","0.6.0","0.6.1","0.6.2","0.6.3","0.6.4","0.6.5","0.6.6","0.6.7","0.6.8","0.7.0","0.7.1","0.8.0","0.8.1","0.9.0","0.9.1","1.0.0","1.1.0","1.2.0","1.2.1","1.2.2","1.2.3","1.2.4","1.3.0","1.3.1","1.4.0","1.4.1","1.4.2","1.4.3","1.4.4","1.4.5","1.4.6","1.4.7","1.4.8","1.5.0","1.5.1","1.5.10","1.5.100","1.5.101","1.5.102","1.5.103","1.5.104","1.5.105","1.5.106","1.5.107","1.5.108","1.5.109","1.5.11","1.5.110","1.5.111","1.5.112","1.5.113","1.5.114","1.5.115","1.5.116","1.5.117","1.5.118","1.5.119","1.5.12","1.5.120","1.5.121","1.5.122","1.5.123","1.5.124","1.5.125","1.5.126","1.5.127","1.5.128","1.5.129","1.5.13","1.5.130","1.5.131","1.5.132","1.5.133","1.5.134","1.5.135","1.5.136","1.5.137","1.5.138","1.5.139","1.5.14","1.5.140","1.5.141","1.5.142","1.5.143","1.5.144","1.5.145","1.5.146","1.5.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