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CVE-2026-42809

Apache Polaris broken access control

9.9 CRITICALEPSS 0.58%
  1. Published4 May 2026

Description

Apache Polaris can issue broad temporary ("vended") storage credentials during staged table creation before the effective table location has been validated or durably reserved. Those temporary credentials are meant to limit the scope of accessible table data and metadata, but this scope limitation becomes attacker- directed because the attacker can choose a reachable target location. In the confirmed variant, if the caller supplies a custom `location` during stage create and requests credential vending, Apache Polaris uses that location to construct delegated storage credentials immediately. The stage-create path itself neither runs the normal location validation nor the overlap checks before those credentials are issued. Closely related to that, the staged-create flow also accepts `write.data.path` / `write.metadata.path` in the request properties and feeds those location overrides into the same effective table location set used for credential vending. Those fields are secondary to the main custom-`location` exploit, but they are still attacker-influenced location inputs that should be validated before any credentials are issued.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorNetwork
Attack complexityLow
Privileges requiredLow
User interactionNone
ScopeChanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

Apache Polaris< 1.4.1

Remediation

Fixed in
Apache Polaris≥ 1.4.1

Frequently asked

Is CVE-2026-42809 being actively exploited?

CVE-2026-42809 is not in the CISA KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit probability is 0.58%.

How severe is CVE-2026-42809?

CVE-2026-42809 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.9, rated critical. EPSS estimates a 0.58% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2026-42809?

Affected products include Apache Polaris.

How do I fix CVE-2026-42809?

Upgrade affected software to a fixed version, for example Apache Polaris 1.4.1 or later, then confirm no affected versions remain in your inventory.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2026-42809 against the real software inventory on every managed device, as each hourly inventory arrives. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

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Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.