CVE-2026-81192: open-telemetry opentelemetry-dotnet-contrib Untrusted Search Path

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2026-81192 is a high (CVSS 7.0) Untrusted Search Path vulnerability in open-telemetry opentelemetry-dotnet-contrib. EPSS estimates a 0.18% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 6.8% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 08-09-2026
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 09-09-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

`OpenTelemetry.Resources.Host` NuGet package, which provides OpenTelemetry resource detectors for host, is affected by an untrusted search path vulnerability on macOS. Prior to version 1.16.0-beta.2, the `host.id` resource attribute detector launches the `sh` and `ioreg` executables by bare name rather than by absolute path, so both are resolved through the `PATH` environment variable. A local attacker who is less privileged than the host application, and who can influence `PATH` or write to a directory that appears in `PATH` ahead of the system directories, can have an arbitrary binary executed in the application's security context, resulting in local code execution/privilege escalation. This vulnerability only affect macOS hosts - Linux and Windows hosts are unaffected. Version 1.16.0-beta.2 contains a patch. No known workarounds are available.

• CWE-426Untrusted Search PathThe product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product's direct control.