CVE-2026-35397: jupyter-server path traversal allows access to sibling directories sharing root_dir name prefix

Severity: high (CVSS 8.8 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.6% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: yes
Published: 2026-05-05 · updated 2026-08-28
Weakness: CWE-22

Description

Jupyter Server is the backend for Jupyter web applications. In versions 2.17.0 and earlier, a path traversal vulnerability in the REST API allows an authenticated user to escape the configured root_dir and access sibling directories whose names begin with the same prefix as the root_dir. For example, with a root_dir named "test", the API permits access to a sibling directory named "testtest" through a crafted request to the /api/contents endpoint using encoded path components. An attacker can read, write, and delete files in affected sibling directories. Multi-tenant deployments using predictable naming schemes are particularly at risk, as a user with a directory named "user1" could access directories for user10 through user19 and beyond. A user who can choose a single-character folder name could gain access to a significant number of sibling directories. Version 2.18.0 contains a fix. As a workaround, ensure folder names do not share a common prefix with any sibling directory.

Affected products

jupyter-server jupyter_server: before 2.18.0 — fixed in 2.18.0

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: jupyter-server jupyter_server 2.18.0. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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