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

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

7.5 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

EPSS

• CVE-2026-50200: 0.18% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 8.16 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

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., vcapservices) 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…

Published by the source

2 Jul 2026, 20:31 UTC

Last modified by the source

2 Jul 2026, 20:31 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 17:04 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-q62h-354g-5r85

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-50200

Advisory: Steeltoe's env sanitizer misses connection strings — leaks embedded DB passwords
IDs: CVE-2026-50200, GHSA-q62h-354g-5r85
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-50200 (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 17:04 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: High (CVSS 7.5)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: steeltoe.management.endpoint 4.2.0; steeltoe.management.endpointcore 3.4.0. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- NuGet steeltoe.management.endpoint: affected <= 4.1.0; fixed in 4.2.0
- NuGet steeltoe.management.endpointcore: affected <= 3.3.0; fixed in 3.4.0

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- NuGet steeltoe.management.endpoint: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet steeltoe.management.endpointcore: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on steeltoe.management.endpoint, steeltoe.management.endpointcore.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-q62h-354g-5r85 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-q62h-354g-5r85 lists affected ranges: NuGet steeltoe.management.endpoint >=0 =0 <=3.3.0)

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