Description
Algernon is a small self-contained pure-Go web server. Prior to 1.17.7, when Algernon is asked for any URL path that resolves to a directory without an index file, DirPage walks upward through parent directories — past the configured server root — looking for a file named handler.lua to execute as the request handler. The loop terminates only after 100 ancestor steps or when filepath.Dir returns ., so on any absolute server-root path the search reaches the filesystem root (/ on Unix, drive letter on Windows). The first handler.lua it finds is loaded into the Lua interpreter with the full Algernon API exposed — including run3(), httpclient, os.execute, io.popen, PQ, MSSQL, raw filesystem access, and the userstate database. Any process that can write handler.lua anywhere in a parent directory of the server root obtains pre-authenticated remote code execution on the next HTTP request. This is reachable without authentication — the lookup happens before the permission check returns a hit (the perm system only gates URL prefixes, not the handler-resolution step), and any URL pointing at a directory without an index triggers the walk. On a fresh stock Algernon install the request GET / is enough. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.17.7.
Published: 2026-05-26
Score: 9 Critical
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
AI Analysis

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Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

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Tracking

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Advisories
Source ID Title
Github GHSA Github GHSA GHSA-xwcr-wm99-g9jc Algernon: handler.lua discovery walks parent directories above the server root
History

Wed, 27 May 2026 10:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Xyproto
Xyproto algernon
Vendors & Products Xyproto
Xyproto algernon

Tue, 26 May 2026 18:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'poc', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Tue, 26 May 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Algernon is a small self-contained pure-Go web server. Prior to 1.17.7, when Algernon is asked for any URL path that resolves to a directory without an index file, DirPage walks upward through parent directories — past the configured server root — looking for a file named handler.lua to execute as the request handler. The loop terminates only after 100 ancestor steps or when filepath.Dir returns ., so on any absolute server-root path the search reaches the filesystem root (/ on Unix, drive letter on Windows). The first handler.lua it finds is loaded into the Lua interpreter with the full Algernon API exposed — including run3(), httpclient, os.execute, io.popen, PQ, MSSQL, raw filesystem access, and the userstate database. Any process that can write handler.lua anywhere in a parent directory of the server root obtains pre-authenticated remote code execution on the next HTTP request. This is reachable without authentication — the lookup happens before the permission check returns a hit (the perm system only gates URL prefixes, not the handler-resolution step), and any URL pointing at a directory without an index triggers the walk. On a fresh stock Algernon install the request GET / is enough. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.17.7.
Title Algernon: handler.lua discovery walks parent directories above the server root
Weaknesses CWE-20
CWE-426
CWE-552
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 9, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H'}


Subscriptions

Xyproto Algernon
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: GitHub_M

Published:

Updated: 2026-05-26T17:15:34.450Z

Reserved: 2026-05-13T05:51:48.666Z

Link: CVE-2026-45721

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-05-26T17:13:06.865Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Deferred

Published: 2026-05-26T17:16:47.750

Modified: 2026-06-17T10:52:30.147

Link: CVE-2026-45721

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-05-27T10:04:46Z

Weaknesses