CVE-2026-105744
Description
A flaw was found in docling. When configured to process LaTeX documents using the Tectonic engine, the application does not restrict TeX file operations during compilation. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by submitting crafted document input to read sensitive files or overwrite existing files on the host system. In environments where shell escape features are enabled, this flaw may also permit arbitrary command execution.
Statement
A moderate severity vulnerability was found in docling, a document conversion library shipped in Red Hat OpenShift AI and Lightspeed Core offerings. When docling is explicitly configured to render LaTeX content with the Tectonic engine (LatexBackendOptions(tikz_engine="tectonic")), it compiles an untrusted TikZ body and document preamble without restricting TeX file primitives such as \openin and \openout. An attacker who can supply a crafted document for conversion can use these primitives to read files accessible to the converter process and to create or overwrite writable files on the host, impacting confidentiality, integrity, and availability. If the separate tikz_engine_allow_shell_escape option is also enabled, arbitrary command execution through TeX shell escapes is possible. The default docling configuration, which does not enable Tectonic rendering, is not affected. Red Hat rates this flaw moderate, lower than the upstream important rating, because exploitation requires a non-default configuration that explicitly enables the Tectonic engine and requires processing attacker-supplied input, resulting in a local attack vector with high attack complexity and required user interaction rather than the network vector assumed upstream. The affected Red Hat products are tracked as affected and fixes are being pursued through the responsible product teams.
Mitigation
Avoid enabling the Tectonic TikZ engine when processing untrusted LaTeX documents. The default docling configuration does not enable Tectonic rendering and is not affected by this flaw, so deployments that have not opted into LatexBackendOptions(tikz_engine="tectonic") are not exposed. The tikz_engine_allow_shell_escape option, which additionally allows shell command execution through TeX, should not be enabled. For deployments that require Tectonic rendering of untrusted input, no mitigation other than upgrading to a release containing the upstream fix is currently available.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7 | 8.8 | 7.5 |
| Attack Vector | Local | Network | Network |
| Attack Complexity | High | Low | High |
| Privileges Required | None | None | None |
| User Interaction | Required | Required | Required |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | High | High | High |
| Integrity Impact | High | High | High |
| Availability Impact | High | High | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Access Control
Technical Impact: Bypass Protection Mechanism
In some cases, injectable code controls authentication; this may lead to a remote vulnerability.
Access Control
Technical Impact: Gain Privileges or Assume Identity
Injected code can access resources that the attacker is directly prevented from accessing.
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
When a product allows a user's input to contain code syntax, it might be possible for an attacker to craft the code in such a way that it will alter the intended control flow of the product. As a result, code injection can often result in the execution of arbitrary code. Code injection attacks can also lead to loss of data integrity in nearly all cases, since the control-plane data injected is always incidental to data recall or writing.
Non-Repudiation
Technical Impact: Hide Activities
Often the actions performed by injected control code are unlogged.
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