Path Traversal in Atlantis Workspace Configuration
Atlantis versions 0.19.8 through 0.44.9 are vulnerable to path traversal (CVE-2026-64679) allowing unauthorized directory creation or deletion outside the intended workspace root.
CVE search metadata
CVE search record: CVE-2026-64679. Severity: high. CVSS: 8.1. KEV: no. Product: Atlantis (0.19.8 to 0.44.9). Brief: Path Traversal in Atlantis Workspace Configuration. Brief link: https://feed.craftedsignal.io/briefs/2026-08-atlantis-path-traversal/
Atlantis versions 0.19.8 through 0.44.9 contain a path traversal vulnerability in its workspace handling mechanism. The application fails to properly sanitize the workspace value provided in repository-level atlantis.yaml configuration files or through authenticated API requests. By injecting path traversal sequences (e.g., ../../), an attacker can cause the Atlantis process to resolve workspace paths outside of the designated ~/.atlantis/repos/ directory.
When Atlantis performs workspace setup, it executes filesystem operations such as os.RemoveAll and os.MkdirAll on the resolved path before delegating to Terraform. Because these operations are executed with the permissions of the Atlantis process user, an authenticated user or an attacker capable of submitting a PR with a malicious atlantis.yaml can trigger unintended directory creation, deletion, or modification on the host system or within mounted container volumes. The issue is addressed in Atlantis version 0.45.0.
Impact
Successful exploitation allows unauthorized manipulation of the filesystem within the context of the Atlantis process. This can lead to the deletion of critical local data, unauthorized creation of directories, or the reuse of arbitrary paths during Terraform execution. While containerization may mitigate host-wide impacts, persistent volumes and internal Atlantis data paths remain exposed. This vulnerability poses significant integrity and denial-of-service risks to organizations relying on Atlantis for Infrastructure as Code automation.
Recommendation
- Upgrade Atlantis to version 0.45.0 or later immediately to resolve CVE-2026-64679.
- Audit repository-level
atlantis.yamlfiles for any suspiciousworkspaceparameter values containing directory traversal sequences. - Restrict the permissions of the user account running the Atlantis service to the minimum required for its operation, ensuring it cannot modify sensitive system directories.
- Implement monitoring for unexpected directory deletion or creation events occurring within the application's working directories.
Immediate actions
Upgrade Atlantis to 0.45.0
Mitigations
Enforce least privilege on Atlantis process user
CVE-2026-64679