FlowiseAI/Flowise · error · Error

Invalid SQLite path: path traversal attempt detected

Error message

Invalid SQLite path: path traversal attempt detected

What it means

Thrown by validateSQLitePath (packages/components/src/validator.ts:338) when the supplied SQLite database path contains a literal '..'. Same staged-defense pattern as the vector store helper: Flowise blocks traversal before the path reaches TypeORM/sqlite3 so a node config can't write the DB file outside the allow-list.

Source

Thrown at packages/components/src/validator.ts:338

export const validateSQLitePath = (userProvidedPath: string | undefined): string => {
    const allowedDirs = getAllowedSQLiteBaseDirs()
    const defaultDir = allowedDirs[0]

    if (process.env.PATH_TRAVERSAL_SAFETY === 'false') {
        if (!userProvidedPath || userProvidedPath.trim() === '') {
            return path.join(defaultDir, 'database.sqlite')
        }
        const bypassPath = userProvidedPath.trim()
        return path.isAbsolute(bypassPath) ? bypassPath : path.resolve(path.join(defaultDir, bypassPath))
    }

    if (!userProvidedPath || userProvidedPath.trim() === '') {
        throw new Error('Invalid SQLite path: database path is required')
    }

    const basePath = userProvidedPath.trim()

    if (basePath.includes('..')) throw new Error('Invalid SQLite path: path traversal attempt detected')
    if (basePath.toLowerCase().includes('%2e') || basePath.toLowerCase().includes('%2f') || basePath.toLowerCase().includes('%5c'))
        throw new Error('Invalid SQLite path: encoded path traversal attempt detected')
    // eslint-disable-next-line no-control-regex
    if (/\0/.test(basePath) || /[\x00-\x1f]/.test(basePath))
        throw new Error('Invalid SQLite path: null bytes or control characters detected')
    if (/^[a-zA-Z]:\\/.test(basePath)) throw new Error('Invalid SQLite path: Windows absolute paths are not allowed')
    if (/^\\\\[^\\]/.test(basePath)) throw new Error('Invalid SQLite path: UNC paths are not allowed')
    if (/^\\\\\?\\/.test(basePath)) throw new Error('Invalid SQLite path: extended-length paths are not allowed')

    const resolvedPath = path.isAbsolute(basePath) ? path.resolve(basePath) : path.resolve(path.join(defaultDir, basePath))

    if (resolvedPath.includes('..')) throw new Error('Invalid SQLite path: path traversal detected in resolved path')

    if (!isPathWithinAllowedSQLiteDirs(resolvedPath, allowedDirs)) {
        throw new Error(
            `Invalid SQLite path: path must be within allowed directories (${allowedDirs.join(', ')}). Attempted path: ${resolvedPath}`
        )
    }

View on GitHub (pinned to abe4a8601a)

Solutions

1. Use a plain relative filename (e.g. 'mydb.sqlite') to resolve under ~/.flowise.
2. Use an absolute path under an allowed dir (~/.flowise or DATABASE_PATH).
3. Rename any filename containing '..'.
4. Set DATABASE_PATH to your desired parent dir and keep the filename simple.

Example fix

// before
nodeParams.databasePath = '../../app.db'

// after
nodeParams.databasePath = 'app.db'   // -> ~/.flowise/app.db

if (String(databasePath ?? '').includes('..')) throw new Error('SQLite path must not contain ..');

const isTraversalFree = (p: unknown): p is string => typeof p === 'string' && !p.includes('..');

try { validateSQLitePath(databasePath) } catch (e) { if (e instanceof Error && /path traversal attempt/.test(e.message)) { databasePath = 'database.sqlite' } else throw e }

When it happens

Trigger: A Sql Database node is configured with Database Path like '../../app.db', 'data/../secret.db', or any value containing '..'.

Common situations: Relative paths intended to point outside ~/.flowise; config examples copied from tutorials using '../'; filenames containing consecutive dots.

Related errors

• Invalid SQLite path: path traversal detected in resolved pat
• Invalid SQLite path: path must be within allowed directories
• Invalid SQLite path: encoded path traversal attempt detected
• Invalid SQLite path: null bytes or control characters detect
• Invalid SQLite path: Windows absolute paths are not allowed

AI-assisted analysis of FlowiseAI/Flowise@abe4a8601a (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/2da70fa868989721. Report an issue: GitHub.