CVE-2026-32727 SciTokens: Authorization Bypass via Path Traversal in Scope Validation
Attackers can bypass directory restrictions in SciTokens by using path traversal sequences in token scopes, allowing unauthorized access to protected resources.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-32727?
CVE-2026-32727 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in scitokens, published on 31 Mar 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
SciTokens is a reference library for generating and using SciTokens. Prior to version 1.9.7, the Enforcer is vulnerable to a path traversal attack where an attacker can use dot-dot (..) in the scope claim of a token to escape the intended directory restriction. This occurs because the library normalizes both the authorized path (from the token) and the requested path (from the application) before comparing them using startswith. This issue has been patched in version 1.9.7.
Weakness: CWE-22
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-32727?
3 open source packages ship an affected version, including scitokens. It affects 1 product.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
scitokens PyPI | All versions | 1.9.7 |
scitokens PyPI | All versions | 1.9.7 |
scitokens PyPI | All versions | 1.9.7 |
Products include Scitokens Scitokens Library.
How do I fix CVE-2026-32727?
Upgrade scitokens to 1.9.7 or later.
Upgrade, and resolve every user-supplied path against an allowed base folder before opening it. More about Path traversal.
Is CVE-2026-32727 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-32727 exists.
Other vulnerabilities in scitokens
Sources
Also known as GHSA-3x2w-63fp-3qvw, PYSEC-2026-2277.