CVE-2026-78624: Okta Access Gateway Path Traversal Flaw

CVE-2026-78624 Overview

CVE-2026-78624 is a path traversal vulnerability [CWE-22] in the Okta Access Gateway backup and restore function. The restore function fails to validate the filename embedded in an encrypted backup payload. An authenticated attacker with high privileges can craft a malicious backup payload that writes file contents to unintended locations on the appliance filesystem. Successful exploitation impacts the confidentiality of files on the appliance.

Critical Impact
An attacker with administrative access to the backup/restore workflow can write attacker-controlled content outside the intended restore directory, enabling file overwrite on the Okta Access Gateway appliance.

Affected Products

Okta Access Gateway (backup and restore functionality)
Refer to the Okta Security Advisory for affected version ranges
Appliance deployments using the built-in restore workflow

Discovery Timeline

2026-09-08 - CVE-2026-78624 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-09-10 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-78624

Vulnerability Analysis

The flaw resides in the Okta Access Gateway restore routine, which processes encrypted backup archives supplied by administrators. During restoration, the routine extracts filenames from the decrypted payload and writes their contents to disk. The routine does not sanitize or canonicalize these embedded filenames before use. An attacker who crafts a backup archive with filenames containing traversal sequences can direct writes outside the intended restore directory. The vulnerability requires network access to the management interface and high privilege authentication, which limits the attacker population to those already holding administrative credentials.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing path validation on filenames extracted from a decrypted backup payload, classified under [CWE-22] (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory). The restore logic trusts filenames after decryption because the archive is encrypted, treating encryption as an implicit integrity boundary. Encryption does not prevent a legitimately authenticated administrator from constructing a malicious archive with attacker-chosen paths.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires an authenticated administrator to upload a crafted encrypted backup to the Access Gateway restore workflow. The attacker embeds filenames containing relative path segments such as ../ inside the backup payload. When the appliance processes the restore, the file writer resolves these segments and places attacker-controlled content at arbitrary filesystem locations writable by the restore process. The scope remains unchanged and the impact is limited to file writes on the appliance filesystem, with no direct code execution or availability impact documented in the advisory.

No public proof-of-concept is available. Refer to the Okta Security Advisory for vendor technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-78624

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected files appearing outside the standard Access Gateway restore directory following a restore operation
Restore operations initiated by administrator accounts at unusual times or from unusual source IP addresses
Modifications to system configuration files, cron entries, or web-served content coinciding with a restore event
Backup archives originating from sources other than the documented Okta Access Gateway backup workflow

Detection Strategies

Audit Okta Access Gateway administrative logs for restore API calls and correlate with filesystem change events
Deploy file integrity monitoring on the Access Gateway appliance to alert on writes outside /opt restore paths
Compare pre- and post-restore filesystem snapshots to identify writes outside expected directories
Review the Okta Security Advisory for vendor-published detection guidance

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward Access Gateway audit logs and syslog to a centralized SIEM for correlation with administrator activity
Alert on any restore operation performed outside approved change windows
Monitor for privilege changes or new administrator account creation preceding restore operations

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-78624

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade Okta Access Gateway to the fixed version listed in the vendor advisory as the primary remediation
Restrict access to the Access Gateway administrative interface to trusted management networks only
Rotate administrator credentials if any restore operation with an untrusted archive is suspected
Review recent restore events and validate that backup archives originated from authorized sources

Patch Information

Okta has published remediation guidance in the Okta Security Advisory for CVE-2026-78624. Administrators should apply the vendor-provided fixed release for Okta Access Gateway. Verify version identifiers after upgrade to confirm the patched build is active before restoring service.

Workarounds

Limit administrative access to the Access Gateway to a small, audited group of operators
Perform restore operations only from backup archives generated and stored on trusted, access-controlled systems
Enforce multi-factor authentication on all Okta Access Gateway administrative accounts to reduce credential abuse risk
Isolate the appliance management interface behind a jump host or VPN to reduce exposure

bash

# Example: restrict management interface access with iptables
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.0.0.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP