Apptainer: Incorrect path matching for 'limit container paths' directive (CVE-2026-48785) | HOL Guard CVE

Medium severityCVE-2026-48785GHSA-CR2J-534F-MF3G

Apptainer: Incorrect path matching for 'limit container paths' directive

Answer in brief

CVE-2026-48785 records a Medium severity vulnerability in Apptainer: Incorrect path matching for 'limit container paths' directive. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. The current feed maps apptainer/apptainer (generic), github.com/apptainer/apptainer (go). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.

Analysis pending evidence review

HOL Guard separates source facts from reviewed analysis. See the methodology.

Published Sep 15, 2026Updated Sep 15, 2026Source checked Sep 15, 2026First seen by HOL Jun 26, 2026Material review Sep 15, 2026

Upstream Advisory

Key facts

Risk: Medium
Exploitation: Not marked as known exploited
Affected software: 2 mapped packages or products
Fix availability: Available

Why this deserves its current priority

A CVSS score is not reported in the current record. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. Treat this as a source-backed prioritization signal, not a statement about your environment.

Analysis status

Analysis pending evidence review

Factual feed record only; HOL analysis is not approved for indexing. Read the methodology.

Affected scope and exposure questions

The current feed maps apptainer/apptainer (generic), github.com/apptainer/apptainer (go). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.

Mapped affected packages and fixed versions
Package	Affected range	Fixed version
apptainer/apptainergeneric	< 1.5.1	Not reported
github.com/apptainer/apptainergo	<1.5.1	1.5.1

Recommended response

Check inventory. Check lockfiles and deployed manifests for apptainer/apptainer, github.com/apptainer/apptainer.
Review the reported fix. Update github.com/apptainer/apptainer to 1.5.1 if you use the affected versions. Test the change in a non-production environment first.

Evidence timeline and material changes

Published upstream
Sep 15, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:record
Source modified
Sep 15, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:record
First seen by HOL
Jun 26, 2026

Sources and claim methodology

Upstream source description

Apptainer is an open source container platform. Prior to version 1.5.1, Image.AuthorizedPath applies plain string-prefix matching to the limit container paths directive in apptainer.conf, so an allowed path such as /data/safe also authorizes a sibling path such as /data/safe-but-unsafe. A local user can consequently run a container from a directory outside the administrator's intended allowlist when Apptainer operates in setuid mode. Installations that do not use setuid mode or do not configure limit container paths are not affected, and unrestricted user namespaces already allow users to run containers of their choice. This issue is fixed in version 1.5.1.

Quoted source text, attributed separately from HOL analysis.