CVE-2026-73551
CVE-2026-73551 — Envoy: Path normalization does not handle dot and dotdot segments with parameters
Envoy is an open source edge and service proxy designed for cloud-native applications. Prior to 1.36.10, 1.37.6, 1.38.4, and 1.39.1, Envoy's URL normalization does not recognize dot and dotdot path segments when they carry semicolon parameters. A request such as /user/..;foo=bar/admin is therefore not canonicalized to /admin even when path normalization is enabled. If an upstream interprets the segment according to RFC 3986 while Envoy applies routing or RBAC to the uncollapsed path, a remote client can cause path confusion and bypass path-based security policy. The relevant scope boundary is that the security consequence depends on a downstream/upstream path interpretation mismatch or a path-based Envoy decision. This issue is fixed in versions 1.36.10, 1.37.6, 1.38.4, and 1.39.1.
Published Updated Sources: NVD, envoyproxy (CNA), GitHub, Red Hat (VEX), SOCRadar CTI
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the scoring sources call it.
Exploitation
Unreported
no source claims exploitation
EPSS
0%
ahead of 0% of scored CVEs
CVSS base
5.3
medium
Remediation
The vendor's own words where we have them.
Upgrade envoy to a fixed release. Apply vendor patches per advisory and restrict external exposure of the affected component until patched.
Red Hat VEX · CVE-2026-73551
vendor_fix: See Red Hat OpenShift Service Mesh 3.0.15 documentation at https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_openshift_service_mesh/3.0
vendor_fix: See Red Hat OpenShift Service Mesh 3.1.12 documentation at https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_openshift_service_mesh/3.1
vendor_fix: See Red Hat OpenShift Service Mesh 3.2.9 documentation at https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_openshift_service_mesh/3.2
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record's own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found.
- Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations.
- Prioritize based on EPSS, PoC availability, and external exposure.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and version as the advisories word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| envoyproxy | envoy | < 1.36.10 | Vulnerable |
| envoyproxy | envoy | >= 1.37.0, < 1.37.6 | Vulnerable |
| envoyproxy | envoy | >= 1.38.0, < 1.38.4 | Vulnerable |
| envoyproxy | envoy | >= 1.39.0, < 1.39.1 | Vulnerable |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Availability
None
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Scope
Unchanged
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Vector
Network
Privileges Req
None
User Interaction
None
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3 | CVSS 3.1 | medium | 3.9 | 1.4 | GitHub (CNA), envoyproxy (CNA), Red Hat (VEX) |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
What this weakness leads to
MITRE's own consequences and mitigations for the weakness class — the authority's wording, not guidance derived from the CVSS vector.
CWE-647 · Use of Non-Canonical URL Paths for Authorization Decisions
- Bypass Protection Mechanism
- Read Files or Directories
Mitigation: Make access control policy based on path information in canonical form. Use very restrictive regular expressions to validate that the path is in the expected form.
Weakness & attack patterns
- CWE-647
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not rules we have tested.
- Search application, proxy, and WAF logs for requests touching /user/..;foo=bar/admin, /admin, /upstream.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for network-reachable envoy.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first — with the readings a source repeats on a schedule counted underneath rather than listed.
- 2026
Added · CVSS 3.1 5.3 (AV:N)
Sep 21, 2026 · NVD
Initial · CVE published
Sep 21, 2026 · NVD
CVE published by MITRE.
Sep 21, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
References
18 on the record
- github.com/envoyproxy/envoy/commit/28b6d60a6d96edeece121cac5be701eb46cc7f24
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Mitre
- github.com/envoyproxy/envoy/commit/d40a68b0a30a003c4e0a9fd3af637f828b52c37b
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Mitre
- github.com/envoyproxy/envoy/commit/e9d6c329f9a3ff19432bf39b60c601df7e3eda33
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Mitre
- github.com/envoyproxy/envoy/commit/f74d1107c4f5c9679b66f7a03a6c5b75ddde1989
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Mitre
- github.com/envoyproxy/envoy/releases/tag/v1.36.10
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Mitre
- github.com/envoyproxy/envoy/releases/tag/v1.37.6
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Mitre
- github.com/envoyproxy/envoy/releases/tag/v1.38.4
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Mitre
- github.com/envoyproxy/envoy/releases/tag/v1.39.1
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Mitre
Elsewhere on this site
- envoyproxyevery CVE for this vendor
- Unclassifiedsame class
- CWE-647other pages naming this weakness
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record1
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-73551 is Envoy: Path normalization does not handle dot and dotdot segments with parameters, a medium vulnerability affecting envoy from envoyproxy. The current evidence does not list it in CISA KEV, and the exploit status is: Active exploitation is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-73551. Public exploit evidence is: A public PoC is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-73551. The affected-version evidence is listed in the key facts and affected products tables. Defenders should first verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run those versions, then apply vendor patches or mitigations, restrict reachable attack surface, and preserve logs for detection review. CVSS 5.3 describes technical severity, while EPSS 0% helps estimate near-term exploit likelihood; neither replaces asset context. Unknown fields should remain explicit in tickets, and threat actor, IOC, victimology, or payload claims should not be added unless a cited source supports them. Monitor CISA KEV, vendor advisories, NVD changes, public PoC repositories, and internal telemetry for update triggers.