Vulnerability 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 Score
CRITICAL
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Apache | Polaris | < 1.4.1 |
Related Weaknesses (CWE)
References
- https://lists.apache.org/thread/8tfsr8y7pgq6rdcvjx95hkcr47td671rMailing ListVendor Advisory
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/05/02/10Mailing ListThird Party Advisory
FAQ
What is CVE-2026-42809?
CVE-2026-42809 is a vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.9 (CRITICAL). 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 creden...
How severe is CVE-2026-42809?
CVE-2026-42809 has been rated CRITICAL with a CVSS base score of 9.9/10. This is considered a critical vulnerability requiring immediate attention.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-42809?
Check the references section above for vendor advisories and patch information. Affected products include: Apache Polaris.