CVE-2026-42809

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 v3.1 Score

9.9

CRITICAL

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0010

Probability of exploitation

0.26%

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-20 Improper Input Validation

CWE-862 Missing Authorization

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
apache	polaris	< 1.4.1

References

Advisories & Patches

https://lists.apache.org/thread/8tfsr8y7pgq6rdcvjx95hkcr47td671r

Other References

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/05/02/10

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-42809? +

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. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.9 (CRITICAL).

How severe is CVE-2026-42809? +

CVE-2026-42809 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.9 out of 10, rated CRITICAL. This is a critical vulnerability that should be patched immediately. The EPSS score is 0.0010, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-42809? +

CVE-2026-42809 affects products from apache, specifically: polaris. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-42809? +

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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