CVE-2026-11752: Armeria Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-hgw6-8c77-v4gq",
  "modified" : "2026-07-15T21:51:39Z",
  "published" : "2026-06-18T17:22:17Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-11752" ],
  "summary" : "Armeria: External Control of File Name or Path in xDS SDS DataSource",
  "details" : "## External Control of File Name or Path in xDS SDS DataSource\n\n### Summary\n\n`DataSourceStream` in the `:xds` module resolves control-plane-supplied `filename` and `environment_variable` fields from SDS Secret resources without any allow-list or base-directory confinement. A semi-trusted or compromised xDS control plane (or an attacker who can MITM SDS responses) can read arbitrary local files and environment variables on the xDS client host.\n\n**Affected component:** `xds/src/main/java/com/linecorp/armeria/xds/DataSourceStream.java`\n**Introduced in:** Armeria 1.38.0 (commit `b199560b10`, \"Add support for SDS\", #6597)\n**Affected versions:** 1.38.0, 1.39.0\n\n### Impact\n\nA semi-trusted or compromised xDS control plane (or an attacker who can inject/MITM SDS responses) can:\n\n- **Read arbitrary files** on the xDS client host — TLS private keys, `/etc/passwd`, mounted Kubernetes service-account tokens, cloud credential files, etc.\n- **Read arbitrary environment variables** — `AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY`, CI tokens, database credentials, etc.\n\nThe read bytes are consumed as TLS key/cert/CA material. Combined with CWE-295 (silent disabling of upstream TLS peer verification), the exfiltrated secret can be presented to an attacker-chosen upstream, enabling data exfiltration. This is a confused-deputy / information-disclosure primitive driven entirely by control-plane-supplied configuration.\n\n**Severity:** High — arbitrary host-level file and environment variable read via control-plane-pushed configuration.\n\n### Patches\n\n1.40.0\n\nThe fix should:\n\n1. **Confine `filename` resolution** to an operator-configured allow-list of base directories. After normalization, reject any path that escapes the allow-listed root.\n2. **Gate `environment_variable`** behind an explicit operator allow-list of permitted variable names.\n3. **Default to denying** both `filename` and `environment_variable` DataSources for control-plane-delivered (SDS) secrets unless explicitly enabled by the operator. This is stricter than upstream Envoy but appropriate when the control plane is not fully trusted.\n4. **Document the trust model** clearly so operators understand that enabling file/env DataSources grants the control plane host-level read capability.\n\n### Workarounds\n\n- Ensure the xDS control plane channel is authenticated and encrypted (mTLS) to prevent MITM injection of malicious SDS responses.\n- Run the xDS client with minimal filesystem permissions and a restricted environment to limit the blast radius of arbitrary reads.\n- If SDS file-based secrets are not needed, consider using inline `DataSource` bytes only (delivered over the SDS stream itself) and auditing control-plane configurations to ensure no `filename` or `environment_variable` DataSources are present.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "com.linecorp.armeria:armeria-xds"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.40.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/line/armeria/security/advisories/GHSA-hgw6-8c77-v4gq"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-11752"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/line/armeria"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/line/armeria/security/advisories/xds/src/main/java/com/linecorp/armeria/xds/DataSourceStream.java"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-73" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-06-18T17:22:17Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-06-19T06:17:01Z"
  }
}