CVE-2026-41870VulnerabilityPublished 09/09/2026Updated 09/10/2026

CVE-2026-41870: CWE-862 Missing Authorization in Apache Software Foundation Apache Nutch

Affects Apache Software Foundation Apache NutchSource CVE Database V5

ghsa-45q5-f4p5-jrqm

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.8 High · fixed in 1.23 : patch Apache Software Foundation Apache Nutch soon.

Data as of 10/25/2026, 04:40:12 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

8.8High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

Exploitation: Not in CISA KEV, no exploitation reported
EPSS: 0.6% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 51% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 1.23

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

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the impacted component. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.
Availability: High: There is total loss of availability, resulting in the attacker being able to fully deny access to resources in the impacted component; this loss is either sustained (while the attacker continues to deliver the attack) or persistent (the condition persists even after the attack has completed). Alternatively, the attacker has the ability to deny some availability, but the loss of availability presents a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component (e.g., the attacker cannot disrupt existing connections, but can prevent new connections; the attacker can repeatedly exploit a vulnerability that, in each instance of a successful attack, leaks a only small amount of memory, but after repeated exploitation causes a service to become completely unavailable).

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Apache Software FoundationApache Nutch	Affected >=1.11 <=1.22	Fixed in–
Mavenorg.apache.nutch/nutch`pkg:maven/org.apache.nutch/nutch`Other threats	Affected =1.11 <=1.22 >=1.11	Fixed in–

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

A fixed version is available: Apache Nutch 1.23 removes the vulnerable Nutch Server component. Users are strongly advised to upgrade to version 1.23. If upgrading is not possible, restrict access to the Nutch Service instances to trusted users only. Refer to the official Apache Nutch security advisories at https://nutch.apache.org/documentation/security/ for the latest guidance.

Description

CVE-2026-41870 is a high severity vulnerability in Apache Nutch versions 1.11 through 1.22 affecting the Nutch REST API. It involves missing authorization controls, leading to risks such as code injection, unsafe reflection, and improper control of dynamically managed code resources. The vulnerability allows unauthorized users with limited privileges to potentially execute harmful actions. Apache Nutch 1.23 removes the vulnerable Nutch Server component, mitigating this issue. Users unable to upgrade should restrict access to trusted users only.

Impact

The vulnerability allows unauthorized users with limited privileges to perform unauthorized actions including code injection and unsafe reflection, potentially leading to full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.8 (High), reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, privileges required, no user interaction, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Summary

This vulnerability in Apache Nutch Server's REST API arises from missing authorization checks, enabling improper control over code generation and execution. It encompasses CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), CWE-94 (Code Injection), CWE-913 (Improper Control of Dynamically-Managed Code Resources), and CWE-470 (Unsafe Reflection). Affected versions are from 1.11 through 1.22. The Apache Software Foundation recommends upgrading to version 1.23, which removes the vulnerable Nutch Server component to eliminate the risk. If upgrading is not feasible, access to the Nutch Service must be restricted to trusted users to mitigate exploitation.

Weaknesses

CWE-862Missing Authorization (opens in a new tab)
Class weaknessLikelihood of exploit: HighCWE Top 25 (2025): #4OWASP Top 10 A01:2025: Broken Access Control (opens in a new tab)
The product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.
Architecture and Design
Divide the product into anonymous, normal, privileged, and administrative areas. Reduce the attack surface by carefully mapping roles with data and functionality. Use role-based access control (RBAC) to enforce the roles at the appropriate boundaries.
Architecture and Design
Ensure that access control checks are performed related to the business logic. These checks may be different than the access control checks that are applied to more generic resources such as files, connections, processes, memory, and database records.
Architecture and Design · Libraries or Frameworks
Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Authorization (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V8.3.8 (opens in a new tab)
V13.4.2 (opens in a new tab)
V7.2.2 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Exploitation of Thunderbolt Protection Flaws (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).
CWE-94Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: MediumCWE Top 25 (2025): #10OWASP Top 10 A05:2025: Injection (opens in a new tab)
The product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment.
Architecture and Design · Refactoring
Refactor your program so that you do not have to dynamically generate code.
Architecture and Design
Run your code in a "jail" or similar sandbox environment that enforces strict boundaries between the process and the operating system. This may effectively restrict which code can be executed by your product.
Implementation · Input Validation
Assume all input is malicious. Use an "accept known good" input validation strategy, i.e., use a list of acceptable inputs that strictly conform to specifications. Reject any input that does not strictly conform to specifications, or transform it into something that does.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Server Side Request Forgery Prevention (opens in a new tab)
Unvalidated Redirects and Forwards (opens in a new tab)
Cross Site Scripting Prevention (opens in a new tab)
DOM based XSS Prevention (opens in a new tab)
Abuse Case (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V5.2.8 (opens in a new tab)
V5.2.5 (opens in a new tab)
V1.5.1 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Leverage Executable Code in Non-Executable Files (opens in a new tab)
Manipulating User-Controlled Variables (opens in a new tab)
Code Injection (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).
CWE-913Improper Control of Dynamically-Managed Code Resources (opens in a new tab)
Class weaknessOWASP Top 10 A01:2021: Broken Access Control (opens in a new tab)
The product does not properly restrict reading from or writing to dynamically-managed code resources such as variables, objects, classes, attributes, functions, or executable instructions or statements.
Implementation · Input Validation
For any externally-influenced input, check the input against an allowlist of acceptable values.
Implementation · Architecture and Design · Refactoring
Refactor the code so that it does not need to be dynamically managed.
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).
CWE-470Use of Externally-Controlled Input to Select Classes or Code ('Unsafe Reflection') (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessOWASP Top 10 A05:2025: Injection (opens in a new tab)
The product uses external input with reflection to select which classes or code to use, but it does not sufficiently prevent the input from selecting improper classes or code.
Architecture and Design
Refactor your code to avoid using reflection.
Architecture and Design
Do not use user-controlled inputs to select and load classes or code.
Implementation
Apply strict input validation by using allowlists or indirect selection to ensure that the user is only selecting allowable classes or code.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
XML Security (opens in a new tab)
Mass Assignment (opens in a new tab)
Injection Prevention (opens in a new tab)
SQL Injection Prevention (opens in a new tab)
Injection Prevention in Java (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V13.3.1 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.4 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.3 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Reflection Injection (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

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