Windmill CE (Community Edition): Missing Authorization
CVE-2026-22683 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Windmill CE (Community Edition) from Windmill Labs, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 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. Affected Windmill CE (Community Edition) versions: 1.56.0 through 1.614.0. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 2.61% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 86% of scored CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of Windmill CE (Community Edition) you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on chocapikk.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windmill Labs | Windmill CE (Community Edition) | 1.56.0 through 1.614.0 | Not stated |
| Windmill Labs | Windmill EE (Enterprise Edition) | 1.56.0 through 1.614.0 | Not stated |
| Nextcloud | Flow | 1.0.0 through 1.2.2 | Not stated |
| Windmill | Windmill | 1.56.0 through 1.614.0 | Not stated |
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
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- 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:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (vulncheck.com).
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | 8.7 | High | CNA (vulncheck.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.8 | High | CNA (vulncheck.com) |
Official description
Windmill versions 1.56.0 through 1.614.0 contain a missing authorization vulnerability that allows users with the Operator role to perform prohibited entity creation and modification actions via the backend API. Although Operators are documented and priced as unable to create or modify entities, the API does not enforce the Operator restriction on workspace endpoints, allowing an Operator to create and update scripts, flows, apps, and raw_apps. Since Operators can also execute scripts via the jobs API, this allows direct privilege escalation to remote code execution within the Windmill deployment. This vulnerability has existed since the introduction of the Operator role in version 1.56.0.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Missing Authorization
The product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Divide the product into anonymous, normal, privileged, and administrative areas. Reduce the attack surface by carefully mapping roles with data and functionality. Use role-based access control (RBAC) to enforce the roles at the appropriate boundaries. Note that this approach may not protect against horizontal authorization, i.e., it will not protect a user from attacking others with the same role.
- Ensure that access control checks are performed related to the business logic. These checks may be different than the access control checks that are applied to more generic resources such as files, connections, processes, memory, and database records. For example, a database may restrict access for medical records to a specific database user, but each record might only be intended to be accessible to the patient and the patient's doctor.
- 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 authorization frameworks such as the JAAS Authorization Framework and the OWASP ESAPI Access Control feature.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Other references
- github.com/Chocapikk/WindfallProduct
- windmill.dev/Product
Other vulnerabilities in Windmill CE (Community Edition)
- 9.9 Critical severity
Recent Missing Authorization vulnerabilities
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 10.0 Critical severity
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