High severity · published Sep 16, 2026
CVE-2026-79993
Apache ZooKeeper: Missing ACL check on deleteContainer opcode allows unauthorized deletion of any empty persistent/container znode
7.5
CVSS
0.6%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
The `deleteContainer` opcode (0x14/20) is processed without verifying the caller's ACL permissions, allowing any authenticated client to delete specific znodes in the data tree regardless of the ACL restrictions on the znode or its parent. This opcode is considered internal-only and the official client doesn't have API for it, but a client that can open a plain TCP session on the ZooKeeper client port (2181 by default) - with NO authentication and NO ACL permissions - can delete any empty persistent znode (including regular persistent nodes, container nodes, and TTL nodes) by issuing the raw protocol OpCode deleteContainer (20). The deleteContainer request path completely skips both the session check and the DELETE ACL check that are enforced by the regular delete (OpCode 2) path. This is an authorization bypass / ACL enforcement bug. This issue affects Apache ZooKeeper: from 3.9.0 through 3.9.5, from 3.8.0 through 3.8.6. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 3.9.6 or 3.8.7, which fixes the issue.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.6% · higher than 49% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
AZ
Apache ZooKeeper · Apache Software Foundation
3.9.0 through 3.9.5; 3.8.0 through 3.8.6 · source: vendor
ZO
Zookeeper · Apache
3.8.0 before 3.8.7; 3.9.0 before 3.9.6 · source: NVD
Affected product
AZ
Apache ZooKeeper
Apache Software Foundation
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