Heimdall: Path received via Envoy gRPC corrupted when containing query string
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · High · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-863.
Summary
Heimdall is a cloud native Identity Aware Proxy and Access Control Decision service. When using Heimdall in envoy gRPC decision API mode with versions 0.7.0-alpha through 0.17.10, wrong encoding of the query URL string allows rules with non-wildcard path expressions to be bypassed. Envoy splits the requested URL into parts, and sends the parts individually to Heimdall. Although query and path are present in the API, the query field is documented to be always empty and the URL query is included in the path field. The implementation uses go's url library to reconstruct the url which automatically encodes special characters in the path. As a consequence, a parameter like /mypath?foo=bar to Path is escaped into /mypath%3Ffoo=bar. Subsequently, a rule matching /mypath no longer matches and is bypassed. The issue can only lead to unintended access if Heimdall is configured with an "allow all" default rule. Since v0.16.0, Heimdall enforces secure defaults and refuses to start with such a configuration unless this enforcement is explicitly disabled, e.g. via --insecure-skip-secure-default-rule-enforcement or the broader --insecure flag. This issue has been fixed in version 0.17.11.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dadrus | heimdall | 0.7.0-alpha to before 0.17.11 | 0.17.11 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | github.com/dadrus/heimdall (Go) | 0.7.0-alpha to before 0.17.11 | 0.17.11 | Patch available | GHSA-r8x2-fhmf-6mxp |
- heimdall Vendordadrus Affected 0.7.0-alpha to before 0.17.11 Fixed in 0.17.11 Patch available CNA
- github.com/dadrus/heimdall (Go) Vendor— Affected 0.7.0-alpha to before 0.17.11 Fixed in 0.17.11 Patch available GHSA-r8x2-fhmf-6mxp
Remediation
- Fix · CNA heimdall (dadrus) Fixed in 0.17.11
- Fix · GHSA-r8x2-fhmf-6mxp github.com/dadrus/heimdall (Go) Fixed in 0.17.11 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-32811
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-r8x2-fhmf-6mxp
References
Patch 3
Sources
- CVE-2026-32811 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-32811 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-r8x2-fhmf-6mxp · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences