Summary
Backstage: Improper URL validation in catalog entity placeholder resolution
Workarounds
If you're not able to update immediately:
- Limit the scope of integration credentials (e.g., GitHub tokens) to only the repositories that Backstage needs to access.
Impact
An authenticated Backstage user could craft a catalog entity with placeholder directives that reference resources outside the entity's source repository. Under certain configurations, this could allow access to data not intended to be available to the user.
The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions. Typical impact: unauthorized data access or execution of privileged operations.
CVE-2026-106498 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (3.9.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Patched in @backstage/plugin-catalog-backend version 3.9.1
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-106498? CVE-2026-106498 is a high-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in @backstage/plugin-catalog-backend (npm), affecting versions < 3.9.1. It is fixed in 3.9.1. The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions.
- How severe is CVE-2026-106498? CVE-2026-106498 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of @backstage/plugin-catalog-backend are affected by CVE-2026-106498? @backstage/plugin-catalog-backend (npm) versions < 3.9.1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-106498? Yes. CVE-2026-106498 is fixed in 3.9.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-106498 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-106498 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-106498 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-106498? Upgrade
@backstage/plugin-catalog-backendto 3.9.1 or later.