# CVE-2026-70494: Open WebUI incorrect authorization in shared folder deletion

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-70494-open-webui-incorrect-authorization-in-shared-folder-deletion  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-08-04. Updated: 2026-08-04  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-70494 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.1 · Published 2026-08-04

Open WebUI, a user interface for managing AI chat models, contains a flaw in its folder sharing system. A user who has been granted 'write' access to a shared folder can permanently and irreversibly delete the original owner's chat history and subfolders. This could lead to significant data loss for users who collaborate on shared chat projects.

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

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-70494 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-70494 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-70494?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.1, published 4 August 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** open-webui (PyPI) >= 0.10.0, < 0.11.0, ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0.10.0,fixed=0.11.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-70494?** Yes. open-webui (PyPI): upgrade to 0.11.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-70494 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a web application.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-70494?** Check whether you run open-webui (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

- open-webui (PyPI): upgrade to 0.11.0 or later

  ```sh
  pip install "open-webui>=0.11.0"
  ```


## Technical details

An incorrect authorization vulnerability exists in the `DELETE /api/v1/folders/{id}` handler within `backend/open_webui/routers/folders.py`. The application incorrectly branched authorization logic: while root folders required ownership or admin privileges, subfolders only required 'write' access. Because write permissions propagate down the folder tree, a collaborator could trigger a cascading deletion that targets the owner's data instead of the caller's. This allows an authenticated attacker with shared write access to permanently destroy the owner's chat history and subfolder structure. The issue is fixed in version 0.11.0 by unifying the authorization check to require ownership or admin status for all folder deletions.

## Affected products

- Open WebUI Open WebUI >= 0.10.0, < 0.11.0

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-70494
- GHSA-3cg5-48j3-v4gv
- PYSEC-2026-3638

## Timeline

- 2026-08-02: patched: Fixed in version 0.11.0
- 2026-08-04: advisory: GitHub Advisory published

## References

- [https://api.github.com/users/legobattman](https://api.github.com/users/legobattman)
- [https://github.com/legobattman](https://github.com/legobattman)
- [https://api.github.com/users/legobattman/gists%7B/gist_id%7D](https://api.github.com/users/legobattman/gists%7B/gist_id%7D)
- [https://api.github.com/users/legobattman/repos](https://api.github.com/users/legobattman/repos)
- [https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/302282032?v=4](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/302282032?v=4)
- [https://api.github.com/users/legobattman/events%7B/privacy%7D](https://api.github.com/users/legobattman/events%7B/privacy%7D)

## Related threats

- [Open WebUI OAuth token exchange authorization bypass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-88006-open-webui-oauth-token-exchange-authorization-bypass)
- [Open WebUI OAuth token exchange authorization bypass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-88005-open-webui-oauth-token-exchange-authorization-bypass)
- [Open WebUI infinite loop denial of service in chat history reconstruction](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-88002-open-webui-infinite-loop-denial-of-service-in-chat-history)
- [Open WebUI server-side request forgery via unvalidated HTTP redirects](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-88001-open-webui-server-side-request-forgery-via-unvalidated-http)
- [Open WebUI denial of service via cyclic chat tree message deletion](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-88000-open-webui-denial-of-service-via-cyclic-chat-tree-message)