Open WebUI BOLA: search_knowledge_files Allows Unauthorized Knowledge Base File Enumeration

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

4.3 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

EPSS

• CVE-2026-54016: 0.30% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 23.21 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary Open WebUI has a Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA) vulnerability in the builtin searchknowledgefiles tool. When native function calling is enabled and the selected model has no attached knowledge bases, an authenticated user can call searchknowledgefiles with an arbitrary knowledgeid. The function then returns file metadata from that knowledge base without checking whether the user has read access. This allows unauthorized enumeration of private or restricted knowledge base files. Details The vulnerable code is in: backend/openwebui/tools/builtin.py Affected function: In the "No attached knowledge" branch, when knowledgeid is provided, the function directly calls: This code path does not verify that the current user is authorized to access the specified knowledge base. The missing check is inconsistent with other nearby code paths. For example, the attached-knowledge branch in the same function checks whether the user is an admin, the owner of the knowledge base, or…

Published by the source

17 Jun 2026, 14:31 UTC

Last modified by the source

20 Jul 2026, 21:15 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 13:49 UTC

1. Revision 2 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-cx9v-4qj2-jrw6

2. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-cx9v-4qj2-jrw6

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-54016

Advisory: Open WebUI BOLA: `search_knowledge_files` Allows Unauthorized Knowledge Base File Enumeration
IDs: CVE-2026-54016, GHSA-cx9v-4qj2-jrw6
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-54016 (revision 2, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 13:49 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 4.3)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: open-webui 0.9.6. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- PyPI open-webui: affected <= 0.9.5; fixed in 0.9.6

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `python -m pip show open-webui`: prints the installed version. Run with the environment that serves production active.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on open-webui.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-cx9v-4qj2-jrw6 (OSV record GHSA-cx9v-4qj2-jrw6 lists affected ranges: PyPI open-webui >=0 <0.9.6 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-cx9v-4qj2-jrw6 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-cx9v-4qj2-jrw6 lists affected ranges: PyPI open-webui >=0 <=0.9.5)

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