CVE-2026-63046 Overview
CVE-2026-63046 is an argument injection vulnerability in Apache InLong, a data integration framework for large-scale data streaming. The flaw resides in the Agent Installer's ModuleManager component, which passes unfiltered input to ExcuteLinux.exeCmd(). Attackers with low-privileged network access can inject arbitrary shell commands because the code lacks input filtering and whitelist validation. The vulnerability affects Apache InLong versions 2.0.0 through 2.3.x and is classified as [CWE-88] Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command.
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary operating system commands on the InLong Agent host, leading to full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Affected Products
- Apache InLong 2.0.0
- Apache InLong 2.1.x through 2.3.x
- All Apache InLong releases prior to 2.4.0
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-08-21 - CVE-2026-63046 published to NVD
- 2026-08-27 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-63046
Vulnerability Analysis
Apache InLong's Agent Installer exposes a ModuleManager component responsible for managing agent modules on Linux hosts. ModuleManager invokes ExcuteLinux.exeCmd() to run shell commands using parameters supplied by callers. The implementation concatenates user-controlled values into the command line without escaping shell metacharacters or validating against a whitelist.
An authenticated attacker with network access to the Agent Installer endpoint can inject argument delimiters such as spaces, semicolons, backticks, or $() sequences. The injected content is interpreted by the shell and executed with the privileges of the InLong Agent process. Because the affected code path directly reaches command execution, no memory corruption or authentication bypass is required.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing neutralization of argument delimiters before command construction inside ExcuteLinux.exeCmd(). The function accepts caller-provided strings and hands them to a shell interpreter. Neither the caller in ModuleManager nor the executor enforces an allow-list of permitted commands, arguments, or characters.
Attack Vector
The vulnerability manifests when an attacker sends a crafted request to the InLong Agent Installer API that reaches ModuleManager. The attacker supplies parameters containing shell metacharacters that alter the intended command. When ExcuteLinux.exeCmd() executes the resulting string, the injected payload runs as an additional shell command.
Exploitation requires network reachability and low-privileged authentication to the Agent Installer. Successful exploitation yields arbitrary command execution on the underlying Linux host, which attackers can chain with local privilege escalation or lateral movement across the data pipeline. Refer to the Apache Mailing List Discussion and the upstream fixes in pull request #12151 and pull request #12155 for implementation-level details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-63046
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected child processes spawned by the InLong Agent JVM, particularly /bin/sh, bash -c, or utilities like curl, wget, nc, or python.
- Outbound network connections from InLong Agent hosts to unfamiliar destinations following Agent Installer API calls.
- Agent Installer HTTP requests containing shell metacharacters such as ;, &&, |, backticks, or $() in module parameters.
Detection Strategies
- Inspect application logs from the Agent Installer for ModuleManager invocations that include delimiter characters in argument fields.
- Correlate process creation events on Agent hosts with preceding HTTP requests to the Installer endpoint to identify injection chains.
- Alert on any shell command executed by the InLong Agent process outside the expected module install and start binaries.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose auditing on Agent Installer hosts, including Linux auditd rules for execve calls originating from the Agent JVM.
- Forward Agent Installer access logs and host process telemetry to a centralized analytics platform for cross-correlation.
- Baseline normal ModuleManager operations so anomalous command arguments generate high-fidelity alerts.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-63046
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade Apache InLong to version 2.4.0 or later on all Agent Installer hosts.
- Restrict network access to the Agent Installer API to trusted management networks and administrative accounts only.
- Rotate credentials used to authenticate to the Agent Installer if exposure to untrusted networks is suspected.
Patch Information
Apache resolves CVE-2026-63046 in Apache InLong 2.4.0. Operators unable to upgrade immediately can cherry-pick the fixes from pull request #12151 and pull request #12155, which add validation and neutralization around the ExcuteLinux.exeCmd() call path in ModuleManager.
Workarounds
- Place the Agent Installer behind a reverse proxy that filters requests containing shell metacharacters in module parameters.
- Run the InLong Agent under a dedicated low-privileged system account with restricted filesystem and network permissions.
- Disable or firewall the Agent Installer management endpoint on production nodes until the patched release is deployed.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
