# CVE-2026-56258: Crawl4AI arbitrary file write in screenshot and PDF endpoints

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-56258-crawl4ai-arbitrary-file-write-in-screenshot-and-pdf-endpoints  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-06-23. Updated: 2026-06-23  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-56258 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.1 · Published 2026-06-23

Crawl4AI, a tool used for web crawling and data extraction, contains a security flaw in its screenshot and PDF generation features. An unauthenticated attacker can trick the system into writing files to unauthorized locations on the server, such as system configuration or executable folders. This could allow an attacker to take full control of the server or disrupt operations.

Technologies: [crawl4ai (PyPI)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/crawl4ai). Vendors: [PyPI](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/pypi).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-56258 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-56258 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-56258?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.1, published 23 June 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** crawl4ai (PyPI) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=0.8.8.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-56258?** Yes. crawl4ai (PyPI): upgrade to 0.8.8 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-56258 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-56258?** Check whether you run crawl4ai (PyPI) 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

- crawl4ai (PyPI): upgrade to 0.8.8 or later

  ```sh
  pip install "crawl4ai>=0.8.8"
  ```


## Technical details

Crawl4AI's Docker API server is vulnerable to an arbitrary file write via the 'output_path' parameter in the /screenshot and /pdf endpoints. The vulnerability stems from insufficient path validation in the 'validate_output_path' function, which performed string-only checks without resolving symlinks. By exploiting a time-of-check-time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition or using symlinks within the allowed output directory, a remote, unauthenticated attacker can write files to restricted locations. If the runtime user has sufficient permissions, this can lead to remote code execution by overwriting binaries or cron jobs. Version 0.8.8 fixes this by resolving real paths during validation and using the O_NOFOLLOW flag during file writes.

## Affected products

- unclecode Crawl4AI < 0.8.8

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-56258
- GHSA-7cx2-g3h9-382p
- PYSEC-2026-228

## Timeline

- 2026-06-04: advisory: GitHub Security Advisory published
- 2026-06-23: disclosed: NVD publication date

## References

- [https://github.com/unclecode/crawl4ai/security/advisories/GHSA-7cx2-g3h9-382p](https://github.com/unclecode/crawl4ai/security/advisories/GHSA-7cx2-g3h9-382p)
- [https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/crawl4ai-arbitrary-file-write-via-output-path-symlink-and-toctou](https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/crawl4ai-arbitrary-file-write-via-output-path-symlink-and-toctou)

## Related threats

- [Crawl4AI arbitrary file write in Docker API server screenshot and pdf endpoints](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-56260-crawl4ai-arbitrary-file-write-in-docker-api-server-screenshot-and)
- [Crawl4AI credential exfiltration in Docker API server](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-56259-crawl4ai-credential-exfiltration-in-docker-api-server)
- [PYSEC-2026-1281 - Crawl4AI SSRF vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-28197-crawl4ai-ssrf-vulnerability)
- [unclecode Crawl4AI SSRF in Docker API streaming path](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-57573-unclecode-crawl4ai-ssrf-in-docker-api-streaming-path)
- [unclecode Crawl4AI remote code execution in Docker API server](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-57572-unclecode-crawl4ai-remote-code-execution-in-docker-api-server)