Summary
DIRAC: Pilot code downloaded over unverified HTTPS connection
The second stage pilot (pilot.tar) is downloaded by the initial wrapper script without any verification of the webservers' SSL certificate and the contained script is subsequently executed. The checksum is tested, but the reference checksum file is downloaded over the same unvalidated channel.
Details
The pilot wrapper downloads and executes the main second stage pilot script, but the SSL validation on this connection is explicitly disabled (to match old python < 2.7.9 behaviour):
https://github.com/DIRACGrid/DIRAC/blob/integration/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Utilities/PilotWrapper.py#L292-L296
This means that the second stage pilot code is not verified in any way and could potentially be altered by a man-in-the-middle attack to execute arbitrary code in the pilot context (i.e. with access to the pilot proxy/credentials).
The HTTPS connection should be validated against both the system certificates and $X509_CERT_DIR and fail if neither validate correctly.
Patched versions:
https://pypi.org/project/DIRAC/8.0.79/
https://pypi.org/project/DIRAC/9.0.22/
https://pypi.org/project/DIRAC/9.1.10/
Impact
This would require a man-in-the-middle style attack against a grid site's network (i.e. changing the DNS or routing to redirect the pilot's connection); this is likely to be difficult which probably limits the potential impact.
CVE-2026-61668 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no 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 (8.0.79, 9.0.22, 9.1.10); 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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DIRAC to 8.0.79 or later; DIRAC to 9.0.22 or later; DIRAC to 9.1.10 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-61668? CVE-2026-61668 is a high-severity security vulnerability in DIRAC (pip), affecting versions >= 6.20.1, < 8.0.79. It is fixed in 8.0.79, 9.0.22, 9.1.10.
- How severe is CVE-2026-61668? CVE-2026-61668 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (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 DIRAC are affected by CVE-2026-61668? DIRAC (pip) versions >= 6.20.1, < 8.0.79 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-61668? Yes. CVE-2026-61668 is fixed in 8.0.79, 9.0.22, 9.1.10. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-61668 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-61668 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-2026-61668 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-2026-61668?
- Upgrade
DIRACto 8.0.79 or later - Upgrade
DIRACto 9.0.22 or later - Upgrade
DIRACto 9.1.10 or later
- Upgrade