Summary
nextflow auth login command has incorrect default permissions
Workarounds
Restrict the file and its parent directory:
chmod 600 "${NXF_HOME:-$HOME/.nextflow}/seqera-auth.config"chmod 700 "${NXF_HOME:-$HOME/.nextflow}"
Alternatively, supply the Platform token via the TOWER_ACCESS_TOKEN environment variable instead of running nextflow auth login.
References
Impact
nextflow auth login persists Seqera Platform OIDC tokens to ${NXF_HOME:-~/.nextflow}/seqera-auth.config. The file is created via Java NIO without specifying file permissions, so under the default umask 022 it lands at mode 0644 (world-readable).
On a multi-user POSIX host, typically an HPC login node, shared workstation, or jump host, any local user able to traverse the victim's home directory can read the file and obtain a valid Platform bearer token, enabling impersonation against Seqera Platform within the token's scope.
Single-user systems and headless CI runners, which do not invoke the interactive login flow, are not affected.
Affected versions: 25.09.2-edge through 26.04.1.
A file, directory, or other resource is assigned permissions that allow broader access than intended. Typical impact: unauthorized read, modification, or execution of the resource.
CVE-2026-48722 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, 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 (25.10.6, 26.04.3); 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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Fixed in <PATCHED_VERSION>. The patched code applies mode 0600 to seqera-auth.config immediately after writing it, and re-applies on every subsequent login so any pre-existing world-readable copy left by an earlier version is tightened.
Tokens previously stored in the file must be treated as disclosed. After upgrading, run nextflow auth logout, revoke the token in the Seqera Platform UI, and run nextflow auth login again.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-48722? CVE-2026-48722 is a medium-severity incorrect permission assignment for critical resource vulnerability in io.nextflow:nextflow (maven), affecting versions >= 25.09.2-edge, < 25.10.6. It is fixed in 25.10.6, 26.04.3. A file, directory, or other resource is assigned permissions that allow broader access than intended.
- How severe is CVE-2026-48722? CVE-2026-48722 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). 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 io.nextflow:nextflow are affected by CVE-2026-48722? io.nextflow:nextflow (maven) versions >= 25.09.2-edge, < 25.10.6 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-48722? Yes. CVE-2026-48722 is fixed in 25.10.6, 26.04.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-48722 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-48722 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-2026-48722 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-2026-48722?
- Upgrade
io.nextflow:nextflowto 25.10.6 or later - Upgrade
io.nextflow:nextflowto 26.04.3 or later
- Upgrade