Electronic Protest Docketing System (EPDS): Client-Side Enforcement of Server-Side Security
CVE-2026-54104 is a high-severity client-side enforcement of server-side security vulnerability in Electronic Protest Docketing System (EPDS) from Government Accountability Office, 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. The record lists version 2026-02-22 as the first without the flaw, so updating Electronic Protest Docketing System (EPDS) to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.72% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 55% of scored CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Electronic Protest Docketing System (EPDS) to 2026-02-22 or a later version.
- Update Electronic Docketing System (EDS) to 2026-03-19 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government Accountability Office | Electronic Protest Docketing System (EPDS) | before 2026-02-22 | 2026-02-22 |
| Civilian Board of Contract Appeals | Electronic Docketing System (EDS) | before 2026-03-19 | 2026-03-19 |
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.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | 8.7 | High | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.8 | High | CNA |
Official description
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Electronic Protest Docketing System (EPDS) and Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA) Electronic Docketing System (EDS) trusts client-provided values for the 'epds_role_id' parameter without verification, allowing a remote, authenticated attacker to escalate their own privileges.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Client-Side Enforcement of Server-Side Security
The product includes a server that relies on the client to implement a protection mechanism that is intended to protect the server.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- If some degree of trust is required between the two entities, then use integrity checking and strong authentication to ensure that the inputs are coming from a trusted source. Design the product so that this trust is managed in a centralized fashion, especially if there are complex or numerous communication channels, in order to reduce the risks that the implementer will mistakenly omit a check in a single code path.
More Client-Side Enforcement of Server-Side Security vulnerabilities (CWE-602)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other references
Other vulnerabilities in Electronic Protest Docketing System (EPDS)
- 9.8 Critical severity
Recent Client-Side Enforcement of Server-Side Security vulnerabilities
- 8.3 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 7.3 High severity
- 10.0 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
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