Summarize Path Traversal Vulnerability (CVE-2026-45242)

Summarize versions prior to 0.15.1 are susceptible to a path traversal vulnerability in the /v1/summarize daemon endpoint. This flaw allows authenticated users to write arbitrary files to any directory on the system where the Summarize application has write permissions. The vulnerability is triggered by manipulating the slidesDir request parameter, enabling attackers to inject absolute paths or directory traversal sequences. This can be exploited to write slide_*.png and slides.json files to locations outside of the intended directory and subsequently delete them, potentially leading to denial of service or other unexpected behavior. Defenders should ensure that Summarize is updated to version 0.15.1 or later to mitigate this risk.

Attack Chain

1. Attacker authenticates to the Summarize application.
2. Attacker crafts a malicious HTTP POST request to the /v1/summarize endpoint.
3. The request includes a slidesDir parameter containing a path traversal sequence (e.g., ../../) or an absolute path pointing to a sensitive directory.
4. The Summarize application processes the request without proper sanitization of the slidesDir parameter.
5. The application writes slide_*.png and slides.json files to the attacker-specified location.
6. The attacker sends a subsequent request to trigger the file deletion functionality, targeting the previously written files.
7. The Summarize application deletes the files at the specified location, leading to potential data loss or system instability.

Impact

Successful exploitation allows authenticated attackers to write and delete files in arbitrary directories accessible to the Summarize application. This can lead to data corruption, denial of service, or potentially arbitrary code execution if combined with other vulnerabilities or misconfigurations. The NVD rates this vulnerability with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.1, indicating a high severity.

Recommendation

• Upgrade Summarize to version 0.15.1 or later to remediate CVE-2026-45242.
• Deploy the Sigma rule “Detect Summarize Path Traversal Attempt via slidesDir” to identify potential exploitation attempts by monitoring HTTP requests to the /v1/summarize endpoint.
• Implement input validation and sanitization on the slidesDir parameter to prevent path traversal attacks.