psd-tools up to 1.17.0 Smart Object SmartObject.save/SmartObject.open fullPath path traversal

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability has been found in psd-tools up to 1.17.0 and classified as critical. The affected element is the function SmartObject.save/SmartObject.open of the component Smart Object Handler. This manipulation of the argument fullPath causes path traversal. This vulnerability is registered as CVE-2026-49836. Remote exploitation of the attack is possible. No exploit is available. The affected component should be upgraded.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability classified as critical was found in psd-tools up to 1.17.0. Affected by this vulnerability is the function SmartObject.save/SmartObject.open of the component Smart Object Handler. The manipulation of the argument fullPath with an unknown input leads to a path traversal vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-22. The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. As an impact it is known to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

psd-tools is a Python package for working with Adobe Photoshop PSD files. Prior to version 1.17.1, `SmartObject.save()` writes an embedded smart object to a path taken verbatim from the PSD file. Because that name is attacker-controlled and unsanitised, a tool that extracts embedded objects from an untrusted `.psd` can be made to write attacker-chosen bytes to an attacker-chosen path (absolute or `../`-traversing), outside its intended output directory. A secondary issue in `SmartObject.open()` for external-kind smart objects allows the attacker-controlled `fullPath` descriptor to be used as an arbitrary file read path, enabling exfiltration of the read content to the controlled write destination. Both issues are fixed in v1.17.1.

The advisory is shared at github.com. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2026-49836 since 06/01/2026. The exploitation appears to be easy. The attack can be launched remotely. The exploitation doesn't need any form of authentication. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available. MITRE ATT&CK project uses the attack technique T1006 for this issue.

Upgrading to version 1.17.1 eliminates this vulnerability.

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Productinfo

Name

• psd-tools

Version

• 1.0
• 1.1
• 1.2
• 1.3
• 1.4
• 1.5
• 1.6
• 1.7
• 1.8
• 1.9
• 1.10
• 1.11
• 1.12
• 1.13
• 1.14
• 1.15
• 1.16
• 1.17.0

Website

• Product: https://github.com/psd-tools/psd-tools/

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Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.

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