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Apptainer: Incorrect path matching for 'limit container paths' directive

Type: advisorySources: OSV

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.

Products
Not specified
Affected versions
Not specified
Fixed versions
Not specified
CVEs
CVE-2026-48785
Confirmed fixed CVEs
Not specified
Updated in this feed
7 Nov 2026, 06:10 UTC · Revision 1

Source evidence

Apptainer: Incorrect path matching for 'limit container paths' directive

core-osv · Original source

Published 15 Sept 2026, 17:19 UTC

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.

osv:CVE-2026-48785
Complete source record
{
  "id": "fe0c1d06123bc5c1669e0717661338400b722521402ca1307f86450a685c7cfb",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-48785",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "Apptainer: Incorrect path matching for 'limit container paths' directive",
    "summary": "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.",
    "evidence": "osv:CVE-2026-48785",
    "products": [],
    "severity": "medium",
    "structured": {
      "id": "CVE-2026-48785",
      "aliases": [
        "CVE-2026-48785",
        "GHSA-cr2j-534f-mf3g",
        "GO-2026-5805"
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "type": "CVSS_V3",
          "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L"
        }
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "repo": "https://github.com/apptainer/apptainer",
              "type": "GIT",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "5213d775605ad74132127c3f3b20870ad4145550"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "0ff35257420e0c6cb97dac11d305749c893e5214"
                }
              ],
              "database_specific": {
                "extracted_events": [
                  {
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "0"
                      },
                      {
                        "fixed": "1.5.1"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "AFFECTED_FIELD",
                    "strategy": "StringRangeExpression"
                  },
                  {
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "fixed": "0ff35257420e0c6cb97dac11d305749c893e5214"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "REFERENCES_COMMIT"
                  },
                  {
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "fixed": "5213d775605ad74132127c3f3b20870ad4145550"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "REFERENCES_TAG",
                    "original_tag": "v1.5.1"
                  }
                ]
              }
            }
          ],
          "versions": [
            "v1.5.0",
            "v1.5.0-rc.2",
            "v1.5.0-rc.1",
            "v1.4.0-rc.1",
            "v1.1.0-rc.2",
            "v1.1.0-rc.1",
            "v0.1.1",
            "v0.1.0"
          ],
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2026-48785.json"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-28T02:30:49.989819123Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "references": [
        "https://github.com/apptainer/apptainer/releases/tag/v1.5.1",
        "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/48xxx/CVE-2026-48785.json",
        "https://github.com/apptainer/apptainer/security/advisories/GHSA-cr2j-534f-mf3g",
        "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-48785",
        "https://github.com/apptainer/apptainer/commit/0ff35257420e0c6cb97dac11d305749c893e5214",
        "https://github.com/apptainer/apptainer/pull/3549"
      ],
      "provider_metadata": {
        "cwe_ids": [
          "CWE-22"
        ],
        "cna_assigner": "GitHub_M",
        "osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/48xxx/CVE-2026-48785.json"
      }
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2026-48785",
        "evidence": "/id"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 518437,
  "published_at": "2026-09-15T17:19:24.098+00:00"
}