Crawl4AI: Authorization bypass leaks server environment variables

Summary

Crawl4AI from 0.9.0 before 0.9.4 contains a flaw in its untrusted-config gate of the Docker API server. A non-admin API client can wrap forbidden config objects in dict wrappers, which lets an LLMConfig resolve environment references such as api_token="env:NAME" and return server environment variables via /config/dump. Leaked values can include provider API keys and SECRET_KEY, which may allow forging an admin JWT.

Affected

• Crawl4AI (pip package crawl4ai) versions 0.9.0 up to and including 0.9.3
• Docker API server deployments are affected

Fixed in

• Fixed in crawl4ai 0.9.4 (released 2026-09-23)

Workaround

• No vendor workaround is documented for this CVE.
• Do not set SECRET_KEY in the server environment (removes the admin-forgery escalation; disclosure of other environment variables remains).
• Do not place secrets the crawler does not need in the server environment.
• Restrict who can call the API and place it behind an authenticating proxy.

Exploitation

• CISA SSVC: exploitation none, not automatable.
• Not marked as known exploited at the time of research.
• No public proof of concept found; status unknown rather than absent.
• Attack requires a low-privileged authenticated API client.

Our recommendation

• Upgrade Crawl4AI to 0.9.4 or later at the next maintenance window, sooner if the API is reachable from outside.
• Upgrade any 0.8.x installations as well.
• Restrict API token distribution and keep the API off the public internet where possible.
• After patching, rotate SECRET_KEY, JWT signing material and LLM/provider API keys, since leaked variables remain exposed until rotated.
• Review logs of /config/dump and related endpoints for unusual requests.

Public exploits iAttack code is publicly available (PoC on GitHub, Metasploit or Exploit-DB).

PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.

Research sources

• GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-5w5p-vcv6-mm3f github.com
• VulnCheck advisory www.vulncheck.com
• Crawl4AI vendor security page github.com
• Crawl4AI changelog github.com
• Crawl4AI v0.9.4 release notes github.com
• OSV record CVE-2026-109237 osv.dev
• VulDB entry 417001 vuldb.com

Researched and written up in English and German by an AI (Claude by Anthropic) based on NVD, CISA, EPSS and the sources listed. The vendor information is authoritative. Researched on 1 Nov 2026, 08:45.