Description

Improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory ('path traversal') in Azure Arc allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "9.3",
  "pubDate": "2026-09-17T23:18:35.560Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-09-17T23:18:35.560Z",
  "executiveSummary": "A path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22) exists within Azure Arc, enabling unauthorized attackers to manipulate file system paths to access restricted directories.\nThis vulnerability is classified as an Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory, which allows an adversary to bypass security controls by traversing outside of intended functional boundaries.\nThe primary impact of this flaw is the potential for local file disclosure or system-level compromise, which may ultimately lead to an escalation of privileges.\nThe vulnerability affects Azure Arc installations and is exploitable over the network by an unauthorized actor.\nRisk implications are severe, as the ability to traverse directories can allow an attacker to read sensitive configuration files, capture credentials, or modify system files to achieve persistence or elevated execution context.\nSuccessful exploitation requires the attacker to have network connectivity to the affected service, though it does not necessitate prior authentication to the system being compromised, significantly lowering the barrier for entry for malicious actors.\nOrganizations using Azure Arc must prioritize identifying exposure and implementing defensive measures to prevent unauthorized file system interactions.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability resides in the input validation logic of the Azure Arc service, specifically where user-supplied or network-received input is used to construct file system paths without sufficient sanitization or canonicalization.\nRoot cause analysis indicates that the application fails to adequately filter directory traversal sequences (such as '../') when processing path parameters. By injecting these sequences into API requests or communication channels, an attacker can escape the intended root directory context to reference arbitrary files on the underlying operating system.\nThe attack flow begins when an attacker identifies an endpoint or service component that handles file-based operations. The attacker submits a specially crafted request containing path traversal sequences designed to bypass the application's intended directory constraints. If the service attempts to resolve these paths using insecure APIs or without validating the final canonical path, it accesses restricted files outside of the defined application sandbox.\nFrom an exploitation perspective, this allows the attacker to perform arbitrary file reads, potentially exposing sensitive system configuration files, private keys, or environmental variables that are critical for maintaining system integrity and security. If the file system operations include write access or if the attacker can influence configuration files read by the service, they may be able to manipulate system behavior or inject malicious code, leading to an escalation of privileges from the context of the service to that of a higher-privileged user or the system administrator.\nThis vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it facilitates unauthorized access to the host machine through the Azure Arc management plane. Because Azure Arc is designed to manage hybrid infrastructure, an exploitation here extends the threat surface to any resource connected to the management agent. The lack of authentication requirements for the initial exploitation step implies that any actor with reach to the network interface hosting the vulnerable service can initiate the attack. Post-exploitation, the attacker could leverage the gained privileges to establish persistence, move laterally within the network, or perform further reconnaissance of the host system, significantly expanding the scope of the initial compromise beyond simple unauthorized file access."
}