# CVE-2026-51881: DeepTutor code injection in shell execution tool

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-51881-deeptutor-1-4-0-contains-code-injection-in-exectool-execute  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-01. Updated: 2026-10-05  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-51881 · Severity: info · Published 2026-10-01

DeepTutor is an AI tutoring platform that uses a chatbot interface to assist users. A critical vulnerability allows remote attackers to inject and execute arbitrary shell commands on the server through the tutorbot's shell tool, even though the reported severity is marked as "info". An attacker can manipulate the LLM-backed workflow to run any command with the privileges of the service process, achieving full system compromise.

Technologies: [HKUDS DeepTutor](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/deeptutor). Vendors: [HKUDS](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/hkuds).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-51881 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-51881 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-51881?** Informational severity, published 1 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** HKUDS DeepTutor 1.4.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-51881?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Disable the shell and exec tools by default in tutorbot configuration. If shell access is required, implement strict command whitelisting, run commands in a restricted sandbox environment with minimal privileges, and enforce input validation to block dangerous operators (pipe, semicolon, ampersand, rm, curl, wget, etc.). If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-51881 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-51881?** Check whether you run HKUDS DeepTutor at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix


Disable the shell and exec tools by default in tutorbot configuration. If shell access is required, implement strict command whitelisting, run commands in a restricted sandbox environment with minimal privileges, and enforce input validation to block dangerous operators (pipe, semicolon, ampersand, rm, curl, wget, etc.).

## Technical details

DeepTutor 1.4.0 contains a code injection vulnerability in the ExecTool.execute method (shell.py) that fails to sanitize or validate LLM-generated command strings before execution. An unauthenticated remote caller can send crafted messages through the tutorbot WebSocket chat interface to induce the LLM to invoke the shell tool with attacker-controlled command payloads. The vulnerability requires network access to the tutorbot chat interface and a functioning LLM provider configured, but no prior authentication or special privileges.

## Affected products

- HKUDS DeepTutor 1.4.0

## Timeline

- 2026-05-25: disclosed: Issue #518 filed on GitHub
- 2026-10-01: advisory: CVE-2026-51881 published

## References

- [https://gist.github.com/Ro1ME/77331f8ae45f617d33f7100c3f48cac5](https://gist.github.com/Ro1ME/77331f8ae45f617d33f7100c3f48cac5)
- [https://github.com/HKUDS/DeepTutor/issues/518](https://github.com/HKUDS/DeepTutor/issues/518)

## Related threats

- [deeptutor path traversal in EditFileTool.execute](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-51880-deeptutor-1-4-0-contains-a-path-traversal-issue-in-editfiletool)
- [DeepTutor authorization bypass in TutorBotManager file write](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-51879-deeptutor-1-4-0-contains-an-authorization-bypass-through-a-user)
- [DeepTutor authorization bypass in session regeneration](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-51878-deeptutor-1-4-0-contains-an-authorization-bypass-through-a-user)
- [DeepTutor authorization bypass in book confirmation](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-51876-deeptutor-1-4-0-contains-an-authorization-bypass-vulnerability-in)
- [DeepTutor command execution in ExecTool](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-51870-deeptutor-v1-4-0-is-vulnerable-to-command-execution-in-tutorbot)