Path Traversal in Apptainer
CVE-2026-48785
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.
Vulnerability class: Path Traversal (Directory Traversal)
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 4.8 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L.
Affected products
- Apptainer — versions < 1.5.1
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_CONFIRM)
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_MISC)
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_MISC)
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_MISC)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-48785?
- CVE-2026-48785 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Apptainer, classified under Path Traversal. CVSS score: 4.8/10. Published 2026-09-15.
- How severe is CVE-2026-48785?
- Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 4.8 out of 10.