LMCache: Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality
CVE-2026-105192 is a critical-severity missing authentication for critical functionality vulnerability in LMCache, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists version 0.5.6 as the first without the flaw, so updating LMCache to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 1.02% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 64% of scored CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Update LMCache to 0.5.6 or a later version.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (jfrog.com).
Official description
LMCache multiprocess mode, also called distributed mode, opens an unauthenticated ZeroMQ ROUTER so worker processes can register and share KV cache blocks. Messages on that socket are msgpack. Extension code 1 is passed to DeviceIPCWrapper.Deserialize, which calls pickle.loads, while the server is still decoding request arguments and before the handler runs. A single unauthenticated ZMQ DEALER message to the transport port (default 5555) therefore executes code as the user the LMCache process runs as. Official container images run that process as root. The transport binds to localhost unless the operator sets a routable address with --host, which is how multi-node deployments let peers connect. The decode path shipped in v0.3.9 and is present through v0.5.5, including the v0.5.6 release candidates. v0.5.6, published on 2026-10-14, removes pickle.loads from this path.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality
The product does not perform any authentication for functionality that requires a provable user identity or consumes a significant amount of resources.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, consider using libraries with authentication capabilities such as OpenSSL or the ESAPI Authenticator.
- When storing data in the cloud (e.g., S3 buckets, Azure blobs, Google Cloud Storage, etc.), use the provider's controls to require strong authentication for users who should be allowed to access the data.
More Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality vulnerabilities (CWE-306)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Other references
- blog.lmcache.ai/en/2026/10/13/an-update-on-cve-2026-105192/
- github.com/LMCache/LMCache
- github.com/LMCache/LMCache/blob/v0.3.9/lmcache/v1/multiprocess/custom_types.py
- github.com/LMCache/LMCache/blob/v0.5.5/lmcache/v1/platform/base/ipc_wrapper.py
- pypi.org/project/lmcache/
- research.jfrog.com/vulnerabilities/lmcache-is-vulnerable-to-unauthenticated-remote-code-execution-via-pickle-…
Other vulnerabilities in LMCache
- 7.2 High severity
- 9.4 Critical severity
- 8.6 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
Recent Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality vulnerabilities
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.4 High severity
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