Rocket.Chat: Improper Authentication
CVE-2026-55666 is a critical-severity improper authentication vulnerability in Rocket.Chat from RocketChat, with a CVSS 4.0 base score of 9.3 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected Rocket.Chat versions: >= 8.5.0-rc.0, < 8.5.1; >= 8.4.0-rc.0, < 8.4.4; >= 8.3.0-rc.0, < 8.3.6, and others listed below. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.41% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Check which version of Rocket.Chat you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- 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
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| RocketChat | Rocket.Chat | >= 8.5.0-rc.0, < 8.5.1; >= 8.4.0-rc.0, < 8.4.4; >= 8.3.0-rc.0, < 8.3.6; >= 8.2.0-rc.0, < 8.2.6; >= 8.1.0-rc.0, < 8.1.6; >= 7.11.0-rc.0, < 8.0.7; < 7.10.13 | 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.
- Attack requirements
- NoneThe attack does not depend on a particular deployment or configuration.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of confidentiality on the vulnerable system.
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of integrity on the vulnerable system.
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of availability on the vulnerable system.
- Confidentiality (other systems)
- NoneNo 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:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/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 (github.com).
Official description
Rocket.Chat is an open-source, secure, fully customizable communications platform. Prior to 8.5.1, 8.4.4, 8.3.6, 8.2.6, 8.1.6, 8.0.7, and 7.10.13, in apps/meteor/app/apple/server/loginHandler.ts, handleIdentityToken parses a JWT issued by Apple during the OAuth flow. The try block checks for an email parameter. If the JWT does not contain an email address, the application falls back to accepting an arbitrary email value supplied directly in the request. Attackers are able to forge Apple JWTs that do not contain an email address and leverage this vulnerability to carry out account takeover attacks. This vulnerability is fixed in 8.5.1, 8.4.4, 8.3.6, 8.2.6, 8.1.6, 8.0.7, and 7.10.13.
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: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other vulnerabilities in Rocket.Chat
- 8.1 High severity
- 7.4 High severity
- 9.3 Critical severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 8.5 High severity
Recent Improper Authentication vulnerabilities
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 8.7 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.4 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 9.0 Critical severity
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