Highly exploitable, CVE-2026-55149 poses a critical security risk that could lead to severe breaches.
Status: Received on 15 Sep 2026, 17:17 UTC
Published on: 15 Sep 2026, 17:17 UTC
CVSS Release: version 3
security-advisories@github.com
Secondary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVE-2026-55149: Vouch Proxy is an SSO and OAuth/OIDC login solution for Nginx using the auth_request module. Prior to 0.48.0, Cookie in pkg/cookie/cookie.go parses the total part count from an attacker-controlled multipart cookie name and passes the value to make([]string, numParts) without checking that the value is positive or reasonably bounded. Requests to /validate and /_external-auth-:id reach JWTCacheHandler in pkg/jwtmanager/jwtcache.go, FindJWT in pkg/jwtmanager/jwtmanager.go, and the vulnerable cookie reassembly before JWT validation, so no account or valid session is required. A cookie name such as VouchCookie_1of10000000000 causes an attempted slice allocation of roughly 160 GB and a fatal Go runtime out-of-memory condition, allowing one request to crash the authentication proxy and repeated requests to sustain unavailability. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.48.0.
The exploitability of CVE-2026-55149 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
With low attack complexity and no required privileges, CVE-2026-55149 is an easy target for cybercriminals. Organizations should prioritize immediate mitigation measures to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2026-55149, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2026-55149, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
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