CVE-2026-41041: Apache Gravitino Path Traversal Flaw

CVE-2026-41041 Overview

CVE-2026-41041 is a URL path injection vulnerability in Apache Gravitino, an open-source metadata lake for unified data governance. The flaw stems from improper encoding of user-supplied identifiers before they are embedded into URL paths [CWE-177]. Attackers can craft malicious identifiers that manipulate the resulting request paths handled by the Gravitino server.

The issue affects Apache Gravitino versions 1.0.0 through versions prior to 1.2.1. The Apache Software Foundation has released version 1.2.1 to remediate the vulnerability.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated network attackers can inject crafted identifiers into URL paths, enabling unauthorized access to metadata operations and integrity impact on the affected Gravitino service.

Affected Products

Apache Gravitino 1.0.0 through 1.2.0
Deployments using Gravitino REST API endpoints that consume user-supplied identifiers
Data governance and metadata catalog stacks integrating vulnerable Gravitino builds

Discovery Timeline

2026-07-13 - CVE-2026-41041 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-07-13 - Apache Security Announcement released on the project mailing list
2026-07-13 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-41041

Vulnerability Analysis

Apache Gravitino exposes REST endpoints that accept user-supplied identifiers such as metalake, catalog, schema, and table names. These identifiers are concatenated into downstream URL paths without proper percent-encoding. An attacker who controls an identifier value can inject reserved URL characters, including /, .., and query delimiters, altering the semantics of the constructed request.

The vulnerability is classified under [CWE-177: Improper Handling of URL Encoding (Hex Encoding)]. Because Gravitino brokers metadata operations across multiple catalog backends, a manipulated path can redirect a request to an unintended resource or backend endpoint. This yields unauthorized read and write access to metadata that the caller should not reach.

The attack is reachable over the network without authentication or user interaction, and requires low complexity. Impact covers confidentiality and integrity of governed metadata, while availability of the service remains intact.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of URL encoding on identifier components before they are appended to request paths inside Gravitino's client and dispatcher code. Reserved characters pass through unchanged, allowing path segments to be broken out of their intended position. The fix in version 1.2.1 enforces proper encoding on identifier fields prior to URL construction.

Attack Vector

An attacker sends an HTTP request to a Gravitino REST endpoint containing a crafted identifier value, for example a metalake or catalog name containing path separators and traversal sequences. The server incorporates the value verbatim into an internal URL, causing the request to resolve to a different resource than the API contract implies. This can be used to bypass namespace boundaries and access or mutate metadata records belonging to other tenants or catalogs. See the Apache Security Announcement for authoritative details.

No public proof-of-concept exploit is currently available, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. The current EPSS probability is 0.592%.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-41041

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to Gravitino REST endpoints containing URL-reserved characters such as %2F, /, or .. within identifier path parameters
Access log entries showing metalake, catalog, schema, or table names that include path separators
Unexpected cross-catalog or cross-metalake read and write operations recorded in Gravitino audit logs
Requests originating from unauthenticated sources targeting /api/metalakes/, /api/catalogs/, or /api/schemas/ paths with anomalous identifiers

Detection Strategies

Deploy request-inspection rules on the reverse proxy or API gateway fronting Gravitino to flag identifier segments containing /, \, .., or encoded equivalents
Correlate Gravitino audit events with authentication logs to surface identifier-based access anomalies
Compare requested identifiers against a known-good inventory of metalakes and catalogs, alerting on unregistered names

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose access logging on Gravitino and forward logs to a centralized analytics platform for retention and query
Monitor 4xx and 5xx response patterns from Gravitino endpoints that may indicate probing of injectable identifier fields
Track version metadata reported by Gravitino instances to identify hosts still running versions below 1.2.1

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-41041

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade all Apache Gravitino deployments to version 1.2.1 or later
Inventory every Gravitino instance across development, staging, and production environments to confirm patch coverage
Restrict network access to Gravitino REST endpoints to trusted client networks until patching completes
Rotate service credentials used by Gravitino connectors if unauthorized metadata access is suspected

Patch Information

The Apache Gravitino project has released version 1.2.1 containing the fix. Users on the 1.0.x and 1.1.x branches must upgrade directly to 1.2.1. Refer to the Apache Security Announcement and the OpenWall OSS-Security Discussion for release notes and mailing list guidance.

Workarounds

Place Gravitino behind an authenticating reverse proxy that validates identifier path segments against strict character allowlists
Reject inbound requests whose path components contain URL-reserved characters or percent-encoded traversal sequences
Enforce network segmentation so that only trusted metadata clients can reach Gravitino REST ports

bash

# Example upgrade to the fixed Apache Gravitino release
wget https://downloads.apache.org/gravitino/1.2.1/gravitino-1.2.1-bin.tar.gz
tar -xzf gravitino-1.2.1-bin.tar.gz
cd gravitino-1.2.1
./bin/gravitino.sh stop
./bin/gravitino.sh start
./bin/gravitino.sh status