# CVE-2026-79407: MetaGPT path traversal in SPO extension

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-79407-metagpt-path-traversal-in-spo-extension  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-08-31. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-79407 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.5 · Published 2026-08-31

MetaGPT's Self-Prompt Optimization (SPO) extension contains a file-handling vulnerability that allows an attacker to read arbitrary files from the server. By supplying a crafted filename with path traversal sequences (like `../`), an attacker can escape the intended settings directory and access sensitive files anywhere on the system. This poses a direct risk to confidential data stored on systems running the SPO extension, particularly if the application is exposed to untrusted users.

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-79407 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-79407 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-79407?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.5, published 31 August 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** MetaGPT MetaGPT 0.8.1.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-79407?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. 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-2026-79407 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-79407?** Check whether anything you run is named in the advisory. 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.

## Technical details

A path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22) exists in `metagpt/ext/spo/utils/load.py` where the `set_file_name()` function accepts an attacker-controlled FILE_NAME parameter that is directly concatenated into a filesystem path without validation. The `load_meta_data()` function then opens this unsanitized path using `Path.open()`, allowing traversal sequences like `../../../../tmp/secret.yaml` to escape the intended settings directory. Authentication is required (PR:L), but once authenticated, an attacker can read arbitrary files with the permissions of the process. A related write vulnerability exists in `save_yaml_template()` which could enable arbitrary file write. Patches or mitigations have not been confirmed as available in the advisory.

## Affected products

- MetaGPT MetaGPT 0.8.1

## Timeline

- 2026-08-31: disclosed

## References

- [https://github.com/REYu6/Metagpt-vul/blob/main/CVE-2-MetaGPT-path-traversal.md](https://github.com/REYu6/Metagpt-vul/blob/main/CVE-2-MetaGPT-path-traversal.md)