Apptainer: Incorrect path matching for 'limit container paths' directive
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · Low · Low
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub.
Summary
Apptainer is an open source container platform. Prior to version 1.5.1, Image.AuthorizedPath applies plain string-prefix matching to the limit container paths directive in apptainer.conf, so an allowed path such as /data/safe also authorizes a sibling path such as /data/safe-but-unsafe. A local user can consequently run a container from a directory outside the administrator's intended allowlist when Apptainer operates in setuid mode. Installations that do not use setuid mode or do not configure limit container paths are not affected, and unrestricted user namespaces already allow users to run containers of their choice. This issue is fixed in version 1.5.1.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLflow | apptainer | before 1.5.1 | 1.5.1 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | github.com/apptainer/apptainer (Go) | before 1.5.1 | 1.5.1 | Patch available | GHSA-cr2j-534f-mf3g |
- apptainer VendorMLflow Affected before 1.5.1 Fixed in 1.5.1 Patch available CNA
- github.com/apptainer/apptainer (Go) Vendor— Affected before 1.5.1 Fixed in 1.5.1 Patch available GHSA-cr2j-534f-mf3g
Remediation
- Fix · CNA apptainer (apptainer) Fixed in 1.5.1
- Fix · GHSA-cr2j-534f-mf3g github.com/apptainer/apptainer (Go) Fixed in 1.5.1 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-48785
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-cr2j-534f-mf3g
References
Other 5
- https://github.com/apptainer/apptainer/security/advisories/GHSA-cr2j-534f-mf3g
- https://github.com/apptainer/apptainer/pull/3549
- https://github.com/apptainer/apptainer/commit/0ff35257420e0c6cb97dac11d305749c893e5214
- https://github.com/apptainer/apptainer/releases/tag/v1.5.1
- https://github.com/apptainer/apptainer
More MLflow vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-46366 Server-side request forgery in mlflow KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.3
- TI-2023-03518 Absolute Path Traversal in mlflow/mlflow CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
- TI-2023-01113 Path Traversal: '\..\filename' in mlflow/mlflow CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2025-31759 Redis Lua Use-After-Free may lead to remote code execution CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
- TI-2026-81527 Code execution via scorer deserialization in MLflow servers CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2025-14028 Command Injection in mlflow/mlflow CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
Sources
- CVE-2026-48785 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-48785 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-cr2j-534f-mf3g · 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