CVE-2026-115448

Published Nov 4, 2026 Modified Nov 6, 2026 CWE-770

Description

Uncontrolled recursion in Apache ZooKeeper. The server serializes its data tree to a snapshot by recursing one stack frame per znode level, with no depth bound. A client permitted to create znodes (the default root ACL is open) can build a chain of nested znodes deep enough that taking a snapshot exhausts the JVM stack and kills the snapshot thread; sizes stay within jute.maxbuffer, so existing limits do not prevent it. This is a denial of service that becomes persistent: on restart the server rebuilds the deep tree from its transaction log and fails again while taking the startup snapshot, so it does not return to service, and recovery can entail data loss. The same log affects a leader and its followers, so it can spread across an ensemble. This issue affects Apache ZooKeeper 3.8.0 through 3.8.7 and 3.9.0 through 3.9.6. Users are recommended to upgrade to 3.8.8 or 3.9.7, which fix the issue. As a workaround, use ACLs and authentication to restrict znode creation rather than relying on the default open root ACL.

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EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0061
Probability of exploitation
0.50%
Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-770 CWE-770

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-115448? +
Uncontrolled recursion in Apache ZooKeeper. The server serializes its data tree to a snapshot by recursing one stack frame per znode level, with no depth bound. A client permitted to create znodes (the default root ACL is open) can build a chain of nested znodes deep enough that taking a snapshot exhausts the JVM stack and kills the snapshot thread; sizes stay within jute.maxbuffer, so existing limits do not prevent it. This is a denial of service that becomes persistent: on restart the server rebuilds the deep tree from its transaction log and fails again while taking the startup snapshot, so it does not return to service, and recovery can entail data loss. The same log affects a leader and its followers, so it can spread across an ensemble. This issue affects Apache ZooKeeper 3.8.0 through 3.8.7 and 3.9.0 through 3.9.6. Users are recommended to upgrade to 3.8.8 or 3.9.7, which fix the issue. As a workaround, use ACLs and authentication to restrict znode creation rather than relying on the default open root ACL.
How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-115448? +
You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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