CVE-2026-48785
Received Received - Intake

Path Traversal in Apptainer Container Platform

Publication date: 2026-09-15

Last updated on: 2026-09-15

Assigner: GitHub, Inc.

Description
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.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-15
Last Modified
2026-09-15
Generated
2026-09-15
AI Q&A
2026-09-15
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-48785
EUVD
EUVD-2026-78889

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
apptainer apptainer 1.5.1

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Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-22 The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.

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Executive Summary

CVE-2026-48785 is a vulnerability in Apptainer versions prior to 1.5.1 where the 'limit container paths' directive incorrectly uses string-prefix matching. This allows sibling directories with similar names to be authorized. For example, /data/safe would also permit /data/safe-but-unsafe. The issue only affects setuid installations using this feature.

Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, check if your Apptainer installation is running in setuid mode and if the 'limit container paths' directive is configured in apptainer.conf. Verify the version with 'apptainer --version' and compare it to 1.5.1. Inspect the configuration file for paths that may allow unintended sibling directories.

Impact Analysis

A local user could run containers from unintended directories outside the administrator's allowlist when Apptainer operates in setuid mode. This could lead to unauthorized access or execution of malicious containers if the system relies on the path restrictions.

Mitigation Strategies

Immediately update Apptainer to version 1.5.1 or later. If using setuid mode, review and correct the 'limit container paths' directive in apptainer.conf to ensure only exact path matches are allowed. Disable setuid mode if not required or avoid using the limit container paths feature.

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