Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessPublish crafted malicious model repository
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DeliveryVictim downloads it via model downloader
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ExploitBackslash traversal writes files outside models directory
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ExecutionPlant plugin manifest.json and mcp-bridge-config.json
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ImpactAttacker Python payload executes on every launch
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Path canonicalization, traversal prevention
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Discovery, Collection The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires the victim to be tricked into downloading and installing a crafted model repository through LM Studio's built-in model downloader; the malicious repo uses backslash-separated traversal filenames that escape the models directory so that resolveDownloadRequest writes a plugin manifest.json, install-state.json and mcp-bridge-config.json into locations LM Studio reads at startup, causing an attacker-supplied Python payload to run on every launch. The limiting factors are: mandatory user interaction (the victim must choose to fetch the attacker-controlled model, i.e. a social-engineering step), and the affected version range - LM Studio before 0.4.22+1; installations on 0.4.22+1 or later are fixed. There is no path to unattended, fully automatic exploitation without the victim's download action. |
| Impact | The CVSS 4.0 base score of 8.7 (AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H) reflects a serious outcome - full high-impact compromise of confidentiality, integrity and availability via attacker-controlled code execution - but the UI:P (passive user interaction) metric is the decisive limiter: exploitation is not autonomous and requires the victim to download a crafted model repository, so this is not wormable network RCE. The vulncheck.today Decision label is 'this_week', not 'act_now' or 'emergency', consistent with a high-severity but interaction-gated issue. No CISA KEV listing and no EPSS score were provided in the input, so there is no signal of active, widespread exploitation; the only exploitation evidence is a VulnCheck advisory reference, which is an advisory, not verified working exploit code. On balance this is a genuine priority to patch promptly because the technical impact is persistent code execution on every launch, but it depends on social-engineering a user into loading a malicious model rather than on unattended remote exploitation. PR:N (unauthenticated from the attacker's side) is accurate in the sense that the attacker needs no account - the gating factor is victim action, not attacker credentials. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker publishes a crafted model repository and lures a user into downloading it through LM Studio's model downloader. The downloader's resolveDownloadRequest mishandles backslash-separated traversal filenames, writing attacker files (plugin manifest.json, install-state.json, mcp-bridge-config.json) outside the intended models directory; on the next launch LM Studio runs the attacker-supplied Python payload. No public, verified working exploit is identified at time of analysis - only a VulnCheck advisory reference exists. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 30, 2026
Path traversal in LM Studio's model downloader before 0.4.22+1 allows a crafted model repository to write startup-loaded configuration files outside the models directory, resulting in execution of an attacker-supplied Python payload on every launch. Exploitation is not autonomous: the victim must be tricked into downloading the malicious repository, so the CVSS 4.0 score of 8.7 reflects high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact gated by user interaction. Vendor-released patch: 0.4.22+1; no public exploit identified at time of analysis.
RemediationAI
Upgrade LM Studio to 0.4.22+1 or later; the vendor changelog is https://lmstudio.ai/changelog/lmstudio-v0.4.22 and the VulnCheck advisory is at https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/lm-studio-before-0.4.22-1-path-traversal-via-model-downloader. Because the exploit path requires the user to download a crafted model repository, users who cannot update immediately should avoid fetching untrusted model repositories and should treat third-party model sources as executable content; this reduces exposure but does not replace the vendor-released patch: 0.4.22+1. No other workaround is documented in the supplied references.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
LM Studio is a desktop application for running local language models, and its built-in model downloader resolves repository files through resolveDownloadRequest. CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory) applies because the downloader accepts backslash-separated traversal filenames and fails to confine writes to the models directory. The crafted repository plants plugin manifest.json, install-state.json, and mcp-bridge-config.json in locations LM Studio reads at startup, launching the attacker's Python payload each time the application opens. The assessed CVSS 3.1 vector is AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, with the mandatory user download step as the limiting prerequisite; the affected CPE is cpe:2.3:a:element_labs:lm_studio:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*.
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Attacker needs no credentials (PR:N) but the victim must download a malicious model (UI:R); traversal yields code execution in the app's own context (S:U) with full C/I/A impact.
Primary rating from Vendor (VulnCheck).
CVSS VectorVendor: VulnCheck
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
LM Studio before 0.4.22+1 contains a path traversal vulnerability in the model downloader's resolveDownloadRequest that allows attackers to write files outside the models directory using backslash-separated traversal filenames. Attackers can trick users into downloading a crafted model repository that plants a plugin manifest.json, install-state.json and mcp-bridge-config.json, running an attacker-supplied Python payload on every launch.
Articles & Coverage 1
Executive ViewAI
LM Studio versions prior to 0.4.22+1 are vulnerable to a path traversal flaw that allows a malicious model repository to execute arbitrary Python code on every launch. This affects any user who downloads models from untrusted sources, potentially leading to full system compromise and data breach, requiring immediate remediation to protect sensitive information and maintain trust.
Apply vendor patch.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Path traversal exploits occur when applications use user-controlled input to construct file system paths without proper validation.
EUVD-2026-114249
GHSA-fv7x-c662-7ccq
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB