CVE-2026-44616 Apache Software Foundation CVE debrief

Who should care

Users of Apache Zeppelin versions 0.6.0 through 0.12.0, administrators of affected systems, security teams monitoring for potential LDAP injection attacks, and operators responsible for maintaining and securing Apache Zeppelin instances should be aware of this vulnerability. They should assess their exposure, review compensating controls, and plan for upgrades or mitigations as necessary. Security teams should monitor for potential LDAP injection attempts and review relevant logs for exposed assets that need extra review. Additionally, asset inventory managers should verify that affected deployments exist in managed environments and assign owners for follow-up. Vulnerability management teams should prioritize this issue based on its CVSS score and potential impact on the organization. IT teams responsible for change management should plan and implement vendor-supported updates or mitigations through normal change control processes. Incident response teams should be prepared to track exceptions and retest remediated assets, closing the item only after evidence is documented. This involves confirming whether affected product deployments exist in managed environments, reviewing the supplied official advisory or CVE record, and planning for compensating controls for exposed systems while remediation is scheduled and verified. They should also check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review and track exceptions, retest remediated assets, and close the item only after evidence is documented. This requires coordination between various teams, including IT operations, security, and compliance, to ensure a comprehensive response to this vulnerability. The response should include verifying affected scope, severity, and vendor guidance, as well as reviewing compensating controls for exposed systems while remediation is scheduled and verified. It is also crucial to monitor Apache Zeppelin instances for potential LDAP injection attempts and review relevant logs for exposed assets that need extra review. By taking these steps, organizations can effectively manage the risk associated with this vulnerability and protect their Apache Zepp

Technical summary

The ActiveDirectoryGroupRealm in Apache Zeppelin constructed LDAP search filters without escaping user-controlled input, allowing an authenticated attacker to inject LDAP filter syntax through the user-search endpoint and potentially expose directory information. The role-lookup path was also affected after successful LDAP authentication. This issue affects Apache Zeppelin versions 0.6.0 through 0.12.0.

Defensive priority

Authenticated attackers may inject LDAP filter syntax, potentially exposing directory information in Apache Zeppelin versions 0.6.0 through 0.12.0.

Recommended defensive actions

• Upgrade to Apache Zeppelin version 0.12.1 or later
• Review and adjust LDAP configuration to ensure proper input validation and sanitization
• Monitor Apache Zeppelin instances for potential LDAP injection attempts
• Confirm whether affected product deployments exist in managed environments and assign an owner for follow-up
• Review the supplied official advisory or CVE record to validate affected scope, severity, and vendor guidance
• Plan vendor-supported updates or mitigations through normal change control where exposure is confirmed
• Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review

Evidence notes

The CVE-2026-44616 record indicates an LDAP injection vulnerability in Apache Zeppelin, specifically in the ActiveDirectoryGroupRealm when constructing LDAP search filters without escaping user-controlled input. This issue affects versions 0.6.0 through 0.12.0, and users are recommended to upgrade to version 0.12.1.

Official resources