File creation and unbounded profiling in Apache bRPC builtin services
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-400.
Summary
Apache bRPC before 1.18.0 has external control of file paths and uncontrolled resource consumption in its builtin services. A remote attacker who can reach the builtin service port can change the bvar dump path through /flags, creating directories and overwriting files as the server process. A single /pprof request can also hold the process-wide profiler for an arbitrarily long time.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
Description from the CNA
External control of file name or path and uncontrolled resource consumption in Apache bRPC (version < 1.18.0) on all platforms allows remote attackers who can reach the builtin service port to create directories and truncate/overwrite files with the privileges of the server process, or to hold the process-wide CPU/contention profiler for an arbitrarily long time. Root Cause: 1. The builtin /flags service allows gflags carrying a validator to be modified at runtime via ?setvalue=. The bvar/mbvar dump path gflags (bvar_dump_file, bvar_dump_tabs, mbvar_dump_file) were registered with an accept-anything validator whose only purpose was to wake the dumping thread. A remote attacker could therefore repoint the dump path (e.g. GET /flags/bvar_dump_file?setvalue=/victim/dir/target followed by GET /flags/bvar_dump?setvalue=true, or the equivalent for mbvar_dump_file, which is used verbatim without a forced suffix), making the dumping thread recursively create directories and open/truncate files at attacker-chosen locations. Tab names in bvar_dump_tabs were appended to the path without sanitization, allowing '..' to escape the configured directory. 2. The /pprof builtin service did not clamp the ?seconds= parameter to FLAGS_max_profiling_seconds (a limit that /hotspots enforced). A single request such as ?seconds=2147483647 made the handler sleep for decades while holding the process-wide gperftools CPU profiler or bthread contention profiler, so /hotspots/cpu and /hotspots/contention returned 503 for everyone else during that time. Affected Scenarios: Any Apache bRPC server exposing the builtin services (enabled by default on the same port as normal RPC traffic) to untrusted networks. How to Fix: (Choose one of the following options) 1. Upgrade bRPC to version 1.18.0, which fixes this issue. 2. Apply this patch: https://github.com/apache/brpc/pull/3523 Note: After the fix, bvar_dump_file, bvar_dump_tabs and mbvar_dump_file can no longer be modified at runtime through the /flags builtin service. They can still be changed programmatically via google::SetCommandLineOption(), taking effect on the next dump cycle. The profiling duration of /pprof is now capped by the -max_profiling_seconds gflag (default 300 seconds), which can be adjusted by the server owner.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- 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
Remediation
Upgrade Apache bRPC to 1.18.0, which fixes this issue. Alternatively, apply the patch from Apache pull request 3523.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
- Fix · CNA Apache bRPC (Apache Software Foundation) Fixed in 1.18.0
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Advisory ·
Apache bRPC — lists.apache.org/thread/2pf15ojj0vr7rtx95677kgtl1mx3gdgb
35 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 18 MEDIUM, 17 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2026-78552 Out-of-bounds write in Apache bRPC Redis command parserPriority MEDIUM 49
- TI-2026-78757 Authentication bypass in Apache bRPC servers using internal_portPriority MEDIUM 48
- TI-2026-78742 Missing authentication in Apache bRPC streaming RPC framesPriority MEDIUM 48
Timeline
- 2026-10-21 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-86147
- 2026-10-21 Alias added: GHSA-jm3m-mg8w-9wmc
- 2026-10-30 CVSS score added · CISA ADP
- 2026-10-30 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-11-01 Priority changed: LOW → MEDIUM
References
More Apache vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-18529 Apache Tomcat: Potential RCE and/or information disclosure and/or information corruption with partial PUT KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
- TI-2024-30292 Apache OFBiz: Confused controller-view authorization logic (forced browsing) KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2024-26062 Apache OFBiz: Unauthenticated endpoint could allow execution of screen rendering code KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2024-21190 Apache OFBiz: Path traversal leading to RCE KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2024-18186 Apache HugeGraph-Server: Command execution in gremlin KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2023-25106 Deserialization of untrusted data in Apache ActiveMQ KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
Sources
- CVE-2026-86147 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-86147 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-jm3m-mg8w-9wmc · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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