CVE-2026-59864 in Kiota
Summary
by MITRE • 07/16/2026
Kiota is an OpenAPI based HTTP Client code generator. Prior to 1.32.5, `kiota plugin add` and `kiota plugin generate` (with `-t APIPlugin`) emitted attacker-controlled static_template.file values from x-ai-adaptive-card and x-ai-capabilities into generated Microsoft 365 Copilot and Teams plugin manifests without path validation, allowing ../, absolute, rooted, UNC, Windows drive, or URI paths in response_semantics.static_template.file to cause path traversal or out-of-package file inclusion when the generated plugin was deployed. This issue is fixed in version 1.32.5.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/16/2026
The vulnerability identified in Kiota versions prior to 1.32.5 represents a critical path traversal flaw that affects the generation of Microsoft 365 Copilot and Teams plugin manifests. This security weakness stems from inadequate input validation within the plugin command processing functionality, specifically when handling the x-ai-adaptive-card and x-ai-capabilities OpenAPI extension properties. The affected commands include kiota plugin add and kiota plugin generate with the -t APIPlugin flag, which together process attacker-controllable data from the static_template.file field within response_semantics objects.
The technical implementation flaw occurs when Kiota processes OpenAPI specifications containing these AI extensions without proper sanitization of file path values. The system directly incorporates user-supplied paths into generated manifest files without validating whether they contain malicious traversal sequences such as ../, absolute paths, rooted paths, UNC network paths, Windows drive prefixes, or URI schemes. This lack of path validation creates a condition where an attacker can manipulate the OpenAPI specification to inject arbitrary file paths that bypass normal package boundaries during plugin deployment.
This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-23 Path Traversal and CWE-73 Path Traversal in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, which specifically addresses improper input validation leading to directory traversal attacks. The operational impact extends beyond simple file access issues as it enables potential out-of-package file inclusion scenarios that could allow attackers to overwrite critical plugin files or inject malicious code into the generated manifests. When these plugins are deployed to Microsoft 365 Copilot or Teams environments, the compromised manifests could execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges or provide unauthorized access to sensitive system resources.
The attack surface is particularly concerning given the integration context with Microsoft 365 Copilot and Teams platforms, where plugin execution typically occurs with elevated permissions. The vulnerability allows for potential privilege escalation attacks where an attacker could manipulate the plugin generation process to include malicious files in the deployment package, potentially leading to complete system compromise. This issue represents a significant risk in environments where OpenAPI specifications are imported from untrusted sources or where developers do not properly validate external API definitions before using them with Kiota's plugin functionality.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Kiota version 1.32.5 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as the fix implements proper path validation and sanitization for all file path inputs in the plugin generation workflow. Additional mitigations include implementing strict input validation policies for OpenAPI specifications before processing with Kiota, conducting regular security reviews of API definitions from external sources, and monitoring plugin deployment activities for anomalous file inclusion patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of validating all user-controllable inputs in code generation tools and highlights the need for comprehensive path validation mechanisms in HTTP client generators that handle external configuration data.