High

Steeltoe's env sanitizer misses connection strings — leaks embedded DB passwords

  • Disclosed: 02.07.2026
  • Updated: 11.10.2026 11:23

Summary

The Sanitizer component in the Environment actuator redacts configuration values by matching the configuration key name against a suffix list. The default list (password, secret, key, token, .*credentials.*, vcap_services) does not cover the standard .NET pattern ConnectionStrings:<name> or Steeltoe Connectors' Steeltoe:Client:<type>:Default:ConnectionString. There is no value-based scrubbing, so full connection string values including embedded Password= and user:pass@host segments are returned verbatim in /actuator/env responses.

Impact

Any caller who can reach /actuator/env can receive connection strings containing plaintext credentials. Those credentials enable direct connection to the backing database, bypassing the application tier.

Affected configuration

  • Application configuration contains credentials in ConnectionStrings:* or *:ConnectionString keys.
  • On standard deployments: env is added to Management:Endpoints:Actuator:Exposure:Include. This is not the default.
  • On Cloud Foundry: the /cloudfoundryapplication/env path is accessible to any authenticated CF user with read_basic_data permissions (Space Auditor and above) regardless of the exposure configuration.

Mitigations

If an immediate upgrade is not possible:

  • On the standard path, remove env from the actuator exposure list.
  • Add .*connectionstring.* to KeysToSanitize as a defense-in-depth measure for both paths.
  • Require authorization on actuator endpoints.

Affected software

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PlatformPackageVulnerable versionsFixed in
.NET (NuGet) Steeltoe.Management.Endpoint < 4.2.0 4.2.0
.NET (NuGet) Steeltoe.Management.EndpointCore < 3.4.0 3.4.0

References

CVSS score 7.5/10
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Weakness (CWE)
CWE-200, CWE-319
Platform
.NET (NuGet)
Package
Steeltoe.Management.Endpoint, Steeltoe.Management.EndpointCore
Disclosed
02.07.2026
Updated
11.10.2026 11:23

Sources and licenses

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-q62h-354g-5r85 - CC BY 4.0

Vulnerability history: Steeltoe.Management.Endpoint

All published vulnerabilities of this package (.NET (NuGet)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.

Total entries
4
First → latest
07.2026 09.2026
Without a fix
0
Exploited in attacks
0

Severity breakdown

  • High 2
  • Medium 2

Disclosures per year

  1. 2026: 4
  1. Steeltoe's env sanitizer misses connection strings — leaks embedded DB passwords this entry
    High · 7.5 CVE-2026-50200 < 4.2.0 4.2.0

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