hestiacp: Improper Authentication
CVE-2026-12196 is a high-severity improper authentication vulnerability in hestiacp, with a CVSS 4.0 base score of 8.3 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists version 8be23943c7e3231f66d226ca931c76f93be98412 as the first without the flaw, so updating hestiacp to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.4% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update hestiacp to 8be23943c7e3231f66d226ca931c76f93be98412 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hestiacp | hestiacp | before 8be23943c7e3231f66d226ca931c76f93be98412 | 8be23943c7e3231f66d226ca931c76f93be98412 |
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.
- Attack requirements
- NoneThe attack does not depend on a particular deployment or configuration.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of confidentiality on the vulnerable system.
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- NoneNo loss of integrity on the vulnerable system.
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- NoneNo loss of availability on the vulnerable system.
- Confidentiality (other systems)
- HighSerious loss of confidentiality on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Integrity (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of integrity on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Availability (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of availability on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X. Scored by CNA.
Official description
HestiaCP panel cronjob feature is affected by a broken access control vulnerability. Low privilege users can modify the panel cronjob to execute scripts HestiaCP management scripts with passwordless sudo. This could result in the takeover of administrator users in the application and the underlying webserver.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Authentication
When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use an authentication framework or library such as the OWASP ESAPI Authentication feature.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Other references
Other vulnerabilities in hestiacp
- 7.2 High severity
- 9.9 Critical severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 10.0 Critical severity
Recent Improper Authentication vulnerabilities
- 7.3 High severity
- 8.7 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
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