CVE-2026-40005 in IoTDB
Summary
by MITRE • 07/10/2026
Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in Apache IoTDB. An attacker can write arbitrary files anywhere the IoTDB process has write permissions with unsafe API.
This issue affects Apache IoTDB: from 1.0.0 before 2.0.10.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.0.10, which fixes the issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/10/2026
The vulnerability under discussion represents a critical path traversal flaw in Apache IoTDB that enables malicious actors to bypass directory restrictions and write files to arbitrary locations within the system's file hierarchy. This weakness stems from inadequate validation of pathname inputs within the database's API interfaces, allowing attackers to manipulate file paths through specially crafted requests that exploit the system's trust in user-provided input.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when IoTDB processes file operations without properly sanitizing or validating the absolute or relative pathnames provided by external callers. This design flaw permits attackers to construct malicious file paths that traverse beyond the intended restricted directories, effectively granting them write access to any location where the IoTDB process possesses sufficient permissions. The vulnerability specifically impacts versions 1.0.0 through 2.0.9, with the issue being resolved in version 2.0.10 through enhanced input validation mechanisms.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to system integrity and security posture. An attacker who successfully exploits this weakness could potentially overwrite critical system files, inject malicious code into the database environment, or establish persistence mechanisms within the file system. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized file creation to encompass potential privilege escalation scenarios where attackers might leverage the write permissions to modify configuration files or execute arbitrary commands through compromised services.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-22, which specifically addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter usage. This path traversal vulnerability fundamentally undermines the principle of least privilege by allowing unauthorized file system modifications that could compromise the entire IoTDB deployment environment.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability primarily involve upgrading to Apache IoTDB version 2.0.10 or later, which implements proper input validation and sanitization of pathname parameters. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security reviews of their IoTDB configurations to ensure that the database process runs with minimal necessary permissions and that additional file system access controls are implemented as defense-in-depth measures. System administrators should monitor for any unauthorized file modifications in critical directories and implement network segmentation to limit potential attack vectors targeting the IoTDB service.