CVE-2026-42809: Org.apache.polaris:polaris runtime service: Apache Polaris has an Improper Input Validation Issue
Affects org.apache.polaris:polaris-runtime-serviceSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.4 Critical : upgrade to 1.4.1 as a priority.
Data as of 27 Oct 2026, 00:07 UTC
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 1.4.1
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 4 May 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade org.apache.polaris:polaris-runtime-service to 1.4.1.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Mavenorg.apache.polaris:polaris-runtime-service | Affected
| Fixed in
|
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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.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42809 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/apache/polaris/commit/c98d610bc8f7ee237b272e01814391838dd6abf9 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/apache/polaris (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/apache/polaris/releases/tag/apache-polaris-1.4.1 (opens in a new tab)
- lists.apache.org/thread/8tfsr8y7pgq6rdcvjx95hkcr47td671r (opens in a new tab)
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/05/02/10 (opens in a new tab)