CVE-2026-81192: OpenTelemetry.Resources.Host Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-v8pv-4842-x354",
  "modified" : "2026-09-16T13:54:16Z",
  "published" : "2026-09-16T13:54:16Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-81192" ],
  "summary" : "OpenTelemetry.Resources.Host vulnerable to arbitrary code execution via local PATH hijacking on macOS",
  "details" : "### Summary\n\nThe `OpenTelemetry.Resources.Host` NuGet package is affected by an untrusted search path vulnerability on macOS. The `host.id` resource attribute detector launches the `sh` and `ioreg` executables by bare name rather than by absolute path, so both are resolved\nthrough the `PATH` environment variable.\n\nA local attacker who is less privileged than the host application, and who can influence `PATH` or write to a directory that appears in `PATH` ahead of the system directories, can have an arbitrary binary executed in the application's security context, resulting in local\ncode execution/privilege escalation.\n\n### Details\n\nThe implementation of the host detector macOS has always invoked `ioreg` and `sh` via their bare names since it was implemented by [open-telemetry/opentelemetry-dotnet-contrib#1631](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-dotnet-contrib/pull/1631).\n\nThe vulnerability was fixed by [open-telemetry/opentelemetry-dotnet-contrib#4760](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-dotnet-contrib/pull/4760) which executes `ioreg` directly using its absolute path.\n\n### Impact\n\nApplications running on **macOS** that use the `OpenTelemetry.Resources.Host` detector when an attacker who is *less privileged* than the application process can influence `PATH` or write to a `PATH` directory that precedes the system directories (e.g. a higher-privileged service with a user-writable directory in its search path, or a process inheriting an attacker-influenced environment). The attacker gains code execution in the application's security context through an attacker-controlled `ioreg` executable.\n\n### Mitigation\n\nThis vulnerability only affect macOS hosts - Linux and Windows hosts are unaffected.\n\n### Workarounds\n\nNone known.\n\n### References\n\n- [GHSA-9h8m-3fm2-qjrq](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go/security/advisories/GHSA-9h8m-3fm2-qjrq)\n- [open-telemetry/opentelemetry-dotnet-contrib#4760](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-dotnet-contrib/pull/4760)\n- [CWE-426](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/426.html)",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "NuGet",
      "name" : "OpenTelemetry.Resources.Host"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.16.0-beta.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-dotnet-contrib/security/advisories/GHSA-v8pv-4842-x354"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-81192"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-dotnet-contrib/pull/1631"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-dotnet-contrib/pull/4760"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-dotnet-contrib"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-426" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-09-16T13:54:16Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-09-08T21:18:43Z"
  }
}