# CVE-2026-35583: Emissary has a Path Traversal via Blacklist Bypass in Configuration API

> Attackers can bypass blacklist validation in the configuration API to read arbitrary files outside the intended directory via path traversal.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 7 Apr 2026
- **Updated:** 9 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-hxf2-gm22-7vcm

## What is CVE-2026-35583?

CVE-2026-35583 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in NationalSecurityAgency emissary, published on 7 Apr 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Emissary is a P2P based data-driven workflow engine. Prior to 8.39.0, the configuration API endpoint (/api/configuration/{name}) validated configuration names using a blacklist approach that checked for \, /, .., and trailing .. This could potentially be bypassed using URL-encoded variants, double-encoding, or Unicode normalization to achieve path traversal and read configuration files outside the intended directory. This vulnerability is fixed in 8.39.0.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-35583?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including gov.nsa.emissary:emissary. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `gov.nsa.emissary:emissary` | Maven | All versions | 8.39.0 |
| `gov.nsa.emissary:emissary` | Maven | All versions | 8.39.0 |

Products: Nsa Emissary.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-35583?

Upgrade gov.nsa.emissary:emissary to 8.39.0 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-35583 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-35583 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in NationalSecurityAgency emissary

- [CVE-2026-35580](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-35580/): Emissary has GitHub Actions Shell Injection via Workflow Inputs (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2026-35582](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-35582/): Emissary has an OS Command Injection via Unvalidated IN_FILE_ENDING / OUT_FILE_ENDING in Executrix (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2021-32094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-32094/): File upload in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2021-32096](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-32096/): Cross-site request forgery in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2021-32095](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-32095/): Missing authorization in n/a (high 8.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-35583 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-35583 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in NationalSecurityAgency emissary, published on 7 Apr 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-35583 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- gov.nsa.emissary:emissary (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 8.39.0
- gov.nsa.emissary:emissary (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 8.39.0

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-35583/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-35583/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-35583
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35583
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-35583

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-35583/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.