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.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apache Software Foundation | Apache ZooKeeper | 3.9.0 – ≤ 3.9.5, 3.8.0 – ≤ 3.8.6 | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | zookeeper | 3.9.6-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | zookeeper | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 12 | zookeeper | No fix yet | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.10 | zookeeper | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | zookeeper | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | zookeeper | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | zookeeper | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | zookeeper | No fix yet | — |
Show 3 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS | zookeeper | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS | zookeeper | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS | zookeeper | No fix yet | — |
Advisories 1
- WID-SEC-2026-3908 IBM SPSS: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Nov 3, 2026
References
- https://lists.apache.org/thread/9cw3rmrzhqpct26v8j18fy41bghlq8y5 vendor-advisory