# CVE-2026-41491: Dapr access control bypass via path traversal in service invocation

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-41491-dapr-service-invocation-path-traversal-acl-bypass  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-05-08. Updated: 2026-05-14  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-41491 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.1 · Published 2026-05-08

Dapr is a distributed application runtime used to connect and manage microservices. A security flaw in its access control system allows attackers to bypass security policies that restrict which services or functions can be called. By using specially crafted characters in a web request, an attacker could gain unauthorized access to sensitive internal application functions, potentially leading to data exposure or unauthorized actions.

Technologies: [github.com/dapr/dapr (Go)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/github-com-dapr-dapr). Vendors: [Go](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/go).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-41491 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-41491 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-41491?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.1, published 8 May 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** github.com/dapr/dapr (Go) SEMVER:introduced=1.17.0-rc.1,fixed=1.17.5, SEMVER:introduced=1.3.0,fixed=1.15.14,introduced=1.16.0-rc.1,fixed=1.16.14,introduced=1.17.0-rc.1,fixed=1.17.5.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-41491?** Yes. github.com/dapr/dapr (Go): upgrade to 1.17.5 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-41491 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-41491?** Check whether you run github.com/dapr/dapr (Go) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- github.com/dapr/dapr (Go): upgrade to 1.17.5 or later

  ```sh
  go get github.com/dapr/dapr@v1.17.5
  ```


## Technical details

A vulnerability in Dapr's service invocation mechanism allows for Access Control List (ACL) bypass via path traversal and reserved character manipulation. The root cause is a normalization discrepancy: the ACL layer normalized method paths (resolving sequences like '../' and stripping fragments/queries) independently from the dispatch layer, which passed the raw method string to the target application. An attacker with network access and low privileges can use encoded sequences (e.g., 'admin%2F..%2Fpublic') or reserved characters (e.g., '%23' for #) to satisfy an allowed ACL rule while the underlying dispatch layer reaches a restricted endpoint. This is particularly impactful for gRPC APIs where method strings are passed raw. The issue is fixed in versions 1.15.14, 1.16.14, and 1.17.5.

## Affected products

- Linux Foundation Dapr 1.3.0 to 1.15.13, 1.16.0 to 1.16.13, 1.17.0 to 1.17.4

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-41491
- GHSA-85gx-3qv6-4463
- GO-2026-5242

## Timeline

- 2026-04-16: advisory: Vendor advisory published on GitHub
- 2026-05-08: disclosed: CVE published to NVD
- 2026-05-08: patched: Patch versions 1.15.14, 1.16.14, and 1.17.5 released

## References

- [https://github.com/dapr/dapr/pull/9589](https://github.com/dapr/dapr/pull/9589)
- [https://github.com/dapr/dapr/security/advisories/GHSA-85gx-3qv6-4463](https://github.com/dapr/dapr/security/advisories/GHSA-85gx-3qv6-4463)

## Related threats

- [GO-2023-1955 - Dapr API token authentication bypass in HTTP endpoints in github.com/dapr/dapr](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2023-37918-dapr-api-token-authentication-bypass-in-http-endpoints)
- [GO-2024-2879 - Dapr API Token Exposure in github.com/dapr/dapr](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2024-35223-dapr-api-token-exposure)