CVE-2026-17625: IBM Langflow OSS RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2026-17625 Overview

CVE-2026-17625 is an OS command injection vulnerability affecting IBM Langflow OSS versions 1.0.0 through 1.10.3. The flaw allows a remote authenticated attacker with high privileges to execute arbitrary operating system commands on the host running Langflow. The root issue is improper neutralization of special elements passed to an OS command [CWE-78]. Successful exploitation compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary OS commands on IBM Langflow OSS hosts, leading to full system compromise of the AI workflow orchestration environment.

Affected Products

IBM Langflow OSS 1.0.0 through 1.10.3

Discovery Timeline

2026-08-05 - CVE-2026-17625 published to NVD
2026-08-06 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-17625

Vulnerability Analysis

IBM Langflow OSS is an open-source framework for building AI workflows and agent pipelines using a visual interface. The vulnerability arises because the application fails to properly neutralize special characters before passing user-controlled input into an OS command. An authenticated attacker can inject shell metacharacters such as ;, |, &, or backticks into affected endpoints or components. The Langflow process then executes the resulting command string with the privileges of the service account.

Because Langflow commonly runs with broad filesystem and network access to support model integrations, command execution provides an attacker with a foothold to pivot into connected AI infrastructure, data stores, and API keys stored in the environment.

Root Cause

The underlying weakness is classified as [CWE-78] Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command. The affected code paths concatenate untrusted input into shell commands without applying safe argument handling, parameterization, or allow-listing.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires network access to the Langflow instance and valid authenticated credentials with elevated privileges. No user interaction is required. An attacker submits a crafted request containing shell metacharacters to a vulnerable component. The Langflow backend forwards the tainted string to an OS command interpreter, which executes the injected payload alongside the intended command.

No public proof-of-concept exploit code was available at the time of publication. Refer to the IBM Support Page for vendor-specific technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-17625

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned by the Langflow service account, particularly shells such as sh, bash, or cmd.exe.
Outbound network connections from the Langflow host to unknown IP addresses or command-and-control infrastructure.
New or modified files in Langflow working directories, including scripts, cron entries, or SSH authorized_keys.
HTTP requests to Langflow API endpoints containing shell metacharacters such as ;, |, &&, $(, or backticks.

Detection Strategies

Enable process ancestry logging on Langflow hosts and alert on shell interpreters launched by the Python or Node.js parent process running Langflow.
Inspect application logs and reverse proxy logs for authenticated API requests containing suspicious characters in parameter values.
Correlate authentication events with subsequent process creation to identify anomalous behavior from high-privilege accounts.

Monitoring Recommendations

Deploy EDR telemetry on all servers hosting Langflow to capture process, file, and network events.
Forward Langflow application, web server, and audit logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation and retention.
Baseline normal command execution patterns for the Langflow service account and alert on deviations.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-17625

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade IBM Langflow OSS to a fixed release above 1.10.3 as directed by the IBM Support Page.
Rotate credentials and API tokens used by any privileged Langflow account that could reach vulnerable endpoints.
Restrict network exposure of Langflow instances to trusted internal networks and VPN users only.
Audit existing Langflow hosts for signs of prior exploitation, including unexpected processes and outbound connections.

Patch Information

IBM has published remediation guidance on the IBM Support Page. Administrators should apply the vendor-supplied fixed version and validate that upgraded instances no longer expose the affected code paths.

Workarounds

Enforce least privilege by removing high-privilege roles from Langflow users who do not require them, since exploitation requires an authenticated high-privilege account.
Place Langflow behind an authenticating reverse proxy and apply a web application firewall rule to block shell metacharacters in request parameters.
Run the Langflow process under a dedicated, unprivileged service account with restricted filesystem and outbound network access.

bash

# Example: run Langflow under a restricted systemd unit
# /etc/systemd/system/langflow.service
[Service]
User=langflow
Group=langflow
NoNewPrivileges=true
ProtectSystem=strict
ProtectHome=true
PrivateTmp=true
RestrictAddressFamilies=AF_INET AF_INET6