Auth bypass in Apache Polaris
CVE-2026-64640
Apache Polaris did not consistently validate storage locations supplied during table and view registration. An authenticated principal with permission to register a table or view could, depending on the affected release and registration path, cause Polaris to use the catalog's storage credentials to read a caller-selected Iceberg metadata file before verifying that the file was within the catalog's allowed storage locations. If the catalog's underlying credentials could read an object outside that boundary, this could disclose limited information from the object. Polaris could also accept registration metadata located within an allowed location that contained references to storage locations outside the allowed boundary. This second condition did not itself cause Polaris to read the referenced external locations during registration. The demonstrated impact is limited to confidentiality. No unauthorized data modification or availability impact has been demonstrated. The server-side read requires a deployment using S3 credential vending and an object outside the allowed locations that the catalog's underlying storage credentials can read. Exploitation requires an authenticated principal with table- or view-registration privileges.
Vulnerability class: Broken Access Control
EPSS: 0.004 (30.8th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 6.5 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
Affected products
- Apache Polaris
- Apache Software Foundation Polaris — versions 0
Weakness classification (CWE)
Public proof-of-concept exploits
References
- security@apache.org (vendor-advisory, Mailing List, Vendor Advisory)
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-64640?
- CVE-2026-64640 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Apache Polaris, classified under Incorrect Authorization. CVSS score: 6.5/10. Published 2026-08-06.
- How severe is CVE-2026-64640?
- Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 6.5 out of 10.
- Is CVE-2026-64640 known to be exploited?
- 1 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.