CVE-2026-7178: ChatGPTNextWeb NextChat SSRF Vulnerability

CVE-2026-7178 Overview

A Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability has been identified in ChatGPTNextWeb NextChat up to version 2.16.1. This vulnerability affects the storeUrl function within the app/api/artifacts/route.ts file of the Artifacts Endpoint component. By manipulating the ID argument, an attacker can force the server to make requests to arbitrary internal or external resources, potentially exposing sensitive data or enabling further attacks on internal infrastructure.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SSRF vulnerability to access internal services, bypass network security controls, and potentially pivot to other systems within the target's network infrastructure.

Affected Products

• ChatGPTNextWeb NextChat up to version 2.16.1
• NextChat installations with the Artifacts Endpoint enabled
• Self-hosted NextChat deployments accessible from the network

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-04-27 - CVE-2026-7178 published to NVD
• 2026-04-29 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-7178

Vulnerability Analysis

This Server-Side Request Forgery vulnerability resides in the Artifacts Endpoint of NextChat, specifically in how the storeUrl function processes the ID argument in app/api/artifacts/route.ts. The application fails to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied input before using it to construct server-side HTTP requests. This allows attackers to manipulate the ID parameter to redirect the server's request to arbitrary destinations, including internal network resources, cloud metadata services, or external attacker-controlled servers.

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-918 (Server-Side Request Forgery), which describes weaknesses where a web application fetches remote resources based on user-supplied data without adequate validation. In this case, the lack of input validation on the ID parameter enables attackers to craft malicious requests that the server will execute on their behalf.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation in the storeUrl function. The function accepts an ID parameter that is used to construct URLs for server-side requests without properly validating whether the resulting URL points to an allowed destination. This allows attackers to inject arbitrary URLs or URL components that redirect the server's requests to unintended targets.

Attack Vector

The attack can be initiated remotely over the network without requiring authentication. An attacker can send a specially crafted request to the Artifacts Endpoint with a malicious ID parameter. The server processes this request and makes an outbound HTTP request to the attacker-specified destination.

This attack vector enables several exploitation scenarios:

• Internal Network Reconnaissance: Attackers can probe internal IP ranges to discover services and map network topology
• Cloud Metadata Access: On cloud-hosted instances, attackers may access metadata services (e.g., http://169.254.169.254/) to retrieve sensitive credentials
• Data Exfiltration: Internal services and data can be accessed and exfiltrated through the vulnerable endpoint
• Port Scanning: The server can be used to scan internal ports and identify running services

Technical details and proof-of-concept information are available through the GitHub Issue Discussion and GitHub Gist PoC.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-7178

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual outbound requests from the NextChat server to internal IP ranges (e.g., 10.x.x.x, 172.16.x.x, 192.168.x.x)
• Requests to cloud metadata endpoints such as 169.254.169.254 from the application server
• Abnormal activity patterns in the /api/artifacts/ endpoint logs showing requests with suspicious ID parameters
• Network traffic originating from the application server to unexpected destinations or ports

Detection Strategies

• Implement network monitoring to detect outbound connections from the NextChat server to internal resources or metadata services
• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to inspect and block requests to the Artifacts Endpoint containing suspicious URL patterns in the ID parameter
• Enable detailed logging on the NextChat application to capture all requests to the Artifacts Endpoint for forensic analysis
• Configure intrusion detection systems to alert on SSRF attack patterns targeting the application

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor application logs for requests to /api/artifacts/ with unusual or URL-like ID parameters
• Set up alerts for outbound connections from the application server to RFC 1918 private address spaces
• Track failed and successful requests to cloud metadata services from the application tier
• Implement network segmentation monitoring to detect lateral movement attempts originating from the compromised server

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-7178

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade NextChat to a patched version if available, or restrict access to the Artifacts Endpoint until a patch is released
• Implement network-level controls to prevent the NextChat server from accessing internal resources and cloud metadata services
• Deploy WAF rules to filter malicious requests targeting the /api/artifacts/ endpoint
• Consider disabling the Artifacts feature if not required for business operations

Patch Information

The vulnerability was reported to the ChatGPTNextWeb project through a GitHub Issue. As of the last update, the project has not yet responded to the vulnerability report. Users should monitor the NextChat GitHub repository for security updates and patch releases.

Additional vulnerability details are documented in the VulDB Vulnerability Report.

Workarounds

• Implement a strict allowlist of permitted destination URLs/domains at the application or network level for the Artifacts Endpoint
• Configure network firewalls to block outbound requests from the NextChat server to internal networks and cloud metadata services (block 169.254.169.254, 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16)
• Deploy a reverse proxy in front of NextChat to inspect and sanitize requests to the Artifacts Endpoint before they reach the application
• If the Artifacts feature is not essential, disable it by modifying the application configuration or removing the route handler

# Example iptables rules to block SSRF targets from NextChat server
# Block access to cloud metadata service
iptables -A OUTPUT -d 169.254.169.254 -j DROP

# Block access to private IP ranges
iptables -A OUTPUT -d 10.0.0.0/8 -j DROP
iptables -A OUTPUT -d 172.16.0.0/12 -j DROP
iptables -A OUTPUT -d 192.168.0.0/16 -j DROP

# Block access to localhost (prevent SSRF to local services)
iptables -A OUTPUT -d 127.0.0.0/8 -j DROP