CVE-2026-87858
Received Received - Intake

Temporal Server Workflow Completion Callback Privilege Escalation

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-87858, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-09-21

Last updated on: 2026-09-21

Assigner: Temporal Technologies Inc.

Description

Temporal Server decided whether a Workflow completion callback was internal by reading a caller-supplied HTTP header. An authenticated caller holding only write permission in a single namespace could attach a completion callback whose URL host matched the configured callback address allowlist, whose URL path was any Temporal HTTP API route, and whose header map contained a non-empty header named source. When the History service delivered that callback, the non-empty source header caused it to re-target the request at the local frontend client and rewrite only the scheme and host, preserving the caller's path, query, and request body. Where an internal frontend is deployed with its HTTP API enabled, that client resolves to the internal frontend, which authorizes every request as a system administrator without requiring authentication information. The result is that the server performs an attacker-chosen state-changing HTTP POST against its own administrative API on the caller's behalf, in namespaces where the caller has no permission. The caller never needs network access to the internal frontend, because the History service makes the request. Confirmed effects include terminating Workflows in other namespaces, registering namespaces, modifying another namespace's configuration, and deleting another namespace and its Workflows. The affected routing logic is present in both the HSM and CHASM callback delivery implementations. This description and the CVSS score in this record describe releases 1.30.0 and later, where any non-empty source header is sufficient. Releases 1.25.0 through 1.29.7 are affected by a narrower form of the same defect in which the header must exactly match a configured cluster ID, a UUID that a namespace-scoped caller cannot read through the API. The consequence once that match occurs is the same, but the attack is materially harder and scores lower. To determine whether a deployment is affected, check two settings together: the static Server configuration for a non-zero services.internal-frontend.rpc.httpPort, and the effective per-namespace dynamic configuration value of component.callbacks.allowedAddresses. A deployment is exposed only when an internal frontend is deployed with a non-zero HTTP port, at least one allowlist rule admits a host, and authorization is enabled. The allowlist is empty by default, which denies all external callback URLs, and the stock static topology does not include an internal frontend. Note that a failed attach returns the error 'invalid url: url does not match any configured callback address', which proves only that one tested URL did not match and does not prove the effective allowlist is empty. To look for callbacks already attached, use DescribeWorkflowExecution, which returns callback information for a Workflow's registered completion callbacks. Operators should be aware of a gap when searching for evidence of delivery: the frontend HTTP API server records the request method and URL at debug level only, so at default log levels a delivered request is not written to the internal frontend's logs, and the absence of such log entries is not evidence that the issue was not exploited.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-21
Last Modified
2026-09-21
Generated
2026-09-21
AI Q&A
2026-09-21
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 7 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
temporal temporal_server 1.30.0
temporal temporal_server From 1.25.0 (inc) to 1.29.7 (inc)
temporal temporal 1.30.7
temporal temporal 1.32.0
temporal temporal 1.31.3
temporal temporal 1.30.0
temporal temporal From 1.25.0 (inc) to 1.29.7 (inc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-807 The product uses a protection mechanism that relies on the existence or values of an input, but the input can be modified by an untrusted actor in a way that bypasses the protection mechanism.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in Temporal Server allows an authenticated attacker with write permission in one namespace to trick the server into making an internal administrative HTTP request on their behalf. The attacker crafts a callback URL that matches an allowed address, includes a non-empty 'source' header, and points to a Temporal HTTP API route. The History service then delivers this callback, rewriting the scheme and host to target the internal frontend client, which authorizes requests as a system administrator without further authentication. This bypasses namespace permissions entirely.

Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, check if an internal frontend is deployed with a non-zero HTTP port and if the component.callbacks.allowedAddresses allowlist contains any host. Use DescribeWorkflowExecution to inspect registered completion callbacks for unexpected URLs. Verify if the internal frontend's HTTP API server logs show POST requests to administrative routes at debug level.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could terminate workflows in other namespaces, register new namespaces, modify configurations of other namespaces, or delete namespaces and their workflows. The attack requires only write permission in a single namespace and no direct network access to the internal frontend, as the History service makes the malicious request internally.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized administrative actions, such as terminating workflows or modifying configurations, which may violate compliance requirements for data integrity and access controls in standards like GDPR and HIPAA. Unauthorized state changes could result in data breaches or unauthorized access to sensitive workflows.

Mitigation Strategies

Disable the internal frontend's HTTP API by setting services.internal-frontend.rpc.httpPort to zero. Ensure callback.inspectSourceHeader is enabled in the configuration to gate legacy callback routing. Review and restrict the component.callbacks.allowedAddresses allowlist to only trusted hosts. Upgrade to a patched version where callback.inspectSourceHeader defaults to true.

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