Apache Karaf: Path Traversal in Config Service Allows Manager-to-Admin Privilege Escalation
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
org.apache.karaf.config.core.impl.ConfigRepositoryImpl#update(pid, properties), which backs the "config" MBean and the config:* shell commands, derives the file it writes a configuration to from caller-supplied input without checking that the result stays inside ${karaf.etc}: * if the submitted property map contains a felix.fileinstall.filename entry, that value is turned directly into a File (getCfgFileFromProperty), so it can point to any absolute path the Karaf process can write to; * otherwise the configuration PID is concatenated verbatim into the target file name (generateConfigFilename(): new File(karaf.etc, pid + ".cfg")), so a PID containing ".." segments resolves outside ${karaf.etc}. createFactoryConfiguration() has the same issue via the factory PID/alias. Both code paths are reachable by any caller holding the "manager" role under Karaf's shipped command/JMX ACL (org.apache.karaf.command.acl.conf.cfg: "update = manager"). Such a user can therefore write attacker-controlled content to any file the Karaf process can write, including files the same ACL otherwise reserves to "admin" (etc/users.properties, etc/*.acl.*.cfg, etc/org.apache.karaf.management.cfg, and similar), allowing a manager-role user to grant themselves the admin role or otherwise take over the container. ConfigMBeanImpl.install() and the config:install shell command already guarded the equivalent risk on their own code path with a finalname.contains("..") string check, but that check does not stop absolute paths or symlink-based escapes, and it was never applied to ConfigRepositoryImpl.update() / createFactoryConfiguration() at all.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Apache Karaf (Apache Software Foundation) Fixed in 4.4.12
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Release ·
Apache Karaf 4.4.12
4 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 3 MEDIUM, 1 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2026-61863 Missing authorization in Apache KarafPriority MEDIUM 50
- TI-2026-62238 Apache Karaf: Authorization bypass in JMX MBean lifecycle operationsPriority MEDIUM 41
- TI-2026-61871 Apache Karaf: config:install missing ACL entry allows privilege escalation to adminPriority LOW 28
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 1 product
- Red Hat Fuse 7
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-91012
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-q6wq-m79c-29mj
- 2026-10-29 EPSS moved to the 50th–90th percentile
References
More Apache Karaf vulnerabilities
- TI-2022-19035 Apache Karaf: JDBC JAAS LDAP injection CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2018-08445 XML external entity injection in Apache Karaf CVSS 3.0CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-61863 Missing authorization in Apache Karaf CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2020-17076 An issue was discovered in Legion of the Bouncy Castle BC Java 1.65 and 1.66. CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.1
- TI-2026-61846 Apache Karaf: OS Command Injection in Child-Instance Launch (instance:* / InstancesMBean) CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2018-08443 Improper privilege management in Apache Karaf CVSS 3.0HIGH 8.8
Sources
- CVE-2026-91012 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-91012 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-q6wq-m79c-29mj · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-91012 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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