CVE-2026-88033 is a high severity gridfs query injection flaw in MongoDB Java Driver, scored 8.3. The record does not name a fixed version. Check your installed version against the affected list below, then patch or restrict access until you can. The record does not flag it as exploited.
What's affected
- The GridFS component of the MongoDB Java Driver.
- The record does not list version ranges.
Severity in the record: High (8.3), vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:H. Weakness: CWE-943.
Fix: The record does not name a fixed version. Check the MongoDB Jira ticket JAVA-6283.
How to check if you're exposed
- List the driver version:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.mongodborgradle dependencies | grep mongodb. - Search code for GridFS use:
grep -rn GridFS src/. - Find places where a user-controlled value becomes a file identifier.
Run these on every host, image and build that could carry the component. Dependency files in repositories and base images in registries are easy to miss.
What to do now
- Confirm the version of every affected system using the checks above.
- Read the vendor advisory linked in Sources and note the fixed version for your release line.
- Schedule the update, starting with systems that face untrusted networks or hold the most sensitive data.
- In the meantime: validate file identifiers as plain ObjectId or string values before passing them to GridFS.
- Record the change, then recheck the version to confirm it took effect.
Why it matters
A structured file identifier from the caller can be treated as a query condition rather than a literal id. This is CWE-943. An authenticated user who controls the identifier could read file content beyond the target, remove every chunk in the bucket (making stored files unreadable), or rename a different file.
The record's KEV flag is false, so this post makes no claim that the flaw is exploited in the wild. That can change, so recheck the CISA catalog from time to time.
Libraries like this often arrive as transitive dependencies, so the version in your lockfile may not be one you chose. Safeguard's free in-browser dependency scan can show whether the package is in a project, and reachability analysis helps separate code paths that call the weak function from those that never do.
Try it yourself
Click through it at your own pace, or open it full screen.
The vector string in the record is a compact summary of how the flaw is reached and what it costs. AV is the attack vector (network, adjacent or local), PR is the privilege the attacker needs, and the C, I and A letters give the impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability. Read it against your own network layout rather than relying on the score alone.
After you patch
Patching is not the end of the job. Recheck the version on each system, because an upgrade that failed or rolled back looks the same as a success until someone looks. Keep the advisory link with your change record so the next reviewer can see why the update happened.
If you cannot patch soon, write down the reason, the compensating control you chose and a date to revisit. Exceptions without a date tend to become permanent.
Quick check
What is the worst case?
Per the record, all GridFS chunks in the bucket could be removed, making stored files unreadable.
Sources
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MongoDB Jira: JAVA-6283
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Safeguard Gold: CVE-2026-88033
Last reviewed: 18 October 2026.
