EUVD-2026-66836
GHSA-3p6c-gvpg-f24w
Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/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
Requires two concurrent non-default conditions (env var unset and active db exception), so AC:H; local vector; scope change as Metasploit's full RPC API is exposed to subsequent systems.
Primary rating from Vendor (rapid7).
CVSS VectorVendor: rapid7
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
A logic vulnerability (fail-open condition) has been identified within the Metasploit Framework's JSON-RPC web service interface. When an exception occurs during the database health check (db.check) and the environment variable MSF_WS_JSON_RPC_API_TOKEN is not explicitly set, the application resets the internal state flag msf.auth_initialized to false. The ApiToken Warden authentication strategy misinterprets this false value as an indicator that authentication is not initialized or required, thereby granting unauthenticated local access to the JSON-RPC request dispatcher.
AnalysisAI
Unauthenticated local access to Metasploit Framework's JSON-RPC dispatcher is possible via a fail-open logic flaw (CWE-305) in the ApiToken Warden authentication strategy. When the MSF_WS_JSON_RPC_API_TOKEN environment variable is unset and the db.check health-check method raises an exception, the internal msf.auth_initialized flag is reset to false - which the Warden misinterprets as authentication being uninitialised rather than failed, bypassing token enforcement entirely. …
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Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata
Vulnerability AssessmentAI
| Exploitation | Exploitation requires all three of the following conditions simultaneously: (1) the Metasploit JSON-RPC web service (msf-json-rpc.ru) must be actively running; (2) the MSF_WS_JSON_RPC_API_TOKEN environment variable must NOT be set in the service process environment - this is the case when operators rely solely on database-backed authentication without a static token; and (3) the db.check database health-check method must raise an exception at runtime, which occurs when the Metasploit PostgreSQL backend is unreachable, crashes, or is misconfigured after service startup. … Additional conditions and limiting factors are described in the full assessment. |
| Risk Assessment | The CVSS 4.0 base score of 5.1 (AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N) reflects a local attack surface with limited confidentiality and integrity impact on the vulnerable system plus low subsequent-system exposure. … Full risk analysis with EPSS, KEV, and SSVC signal comparison available after sign-in. |
| Exploit Scenario | Full exploit scenario with step-by-step reproduction available after sign-in. |
| Remediation | Apply the upstream fix from GitHub PR #21768 (https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/pull/21768); the fix is available as a PR/commit but a specific tagged release version was not confirmed in the available data - monitor the Rapid7 advisory at https://www.rapid7.com/blog/post/pt-metasploit-wrap-up-lot-of-summer-shells-and-fit-http-profiles/ for the patched release version. … Detailed patch versions, workarounds, and compensating controls in full report. |
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Same weakness CWE-305 – Authentication Bypass by Primary Weakness
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External POC / Exploit Code
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