Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessReach File Browser directly bypassing proxy
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DeliveryForge proxy identity HTTP header as admin
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ExploitServer trusts unverified header
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ExecutionAuthenticate as impersonated admin
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ImpactRead/modify/delete files or auto-create accounts
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A07:2025 - Authentication Failures
ASVS 5.0
V6 - Authentication Authentication mechanism validation
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Defense Evasion, Initial Access The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires the target to be configured with proxy authentication (auth.method=proxy) AND for the File Browser server to be directly reachable on the network by the attacker, bypassing the trusted reverse proxy that normally sets the identity header. Given those conditions, exploitation is remote and fully unauthenticated (PR:N) with no user interaction (UI:N) - the attacker simply sets the proxy identity header to a chosen username. Limiting factors: this is a non-default deployment mode, so instances using password/JSON auth or instances strictly fronted by a proxy that overwrites the header are not exploitable; the proxy header name must match the server's configured header. |
| Impact | Signals are largely consistent on the high-severity end: the CVSS 3.1 vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N describes trivial network exploitation with no privileges or user interaction, yielding full confidentiality and integrity loss, which fits a single-header admin impersonation. The critical caveat the raw 9.1 does not capture is that exploitation is gated on a specific, non-default deployment: auth.method=proxy AND the File Browser instance being directly reachable rather than strictly fronted by the proxy. Correctly deployed instances (proxy-only network path, or a different auth method) are not exposed, so real-world risk is configuration-dependent rather than universal. No EPSS score, KEV listing, or POC was supplied; absence of these suggests no confirmed widespread exploitation, but the vendor itself notes the behavior has been documented for years, so knowledge of the technique is effectively public. Treat as high priority for any deployment using proxy auth, and as low priority otherwise. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who can route to a proxy-authenticated File Browser instance directly (for example, an exposed container port or an internal host) sends an HTTP request with the proxy identity header set to the admin username. The server accepts the forged header without verifying the request came from the trusted proxy, granting full admin access to browse, modify, and delete files; supplying a novel username instead silently creates a fresh account. No public exploit code is required given the single-header technique, though none was identified at time of analysis. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Jun 25, 2026
Authentication bypass and privilege escalation in File Browser (versions 2.0.0-rc.1 and later) lets a remote unauthenticated attacker impersonate any account - including admin - by sending a single forged HTTP header when the server runs with proxy authentication (auth.method=proxy). The same flaw doubles as an unauthorized account-creation primitive, since supplying a non-existent username silently provisions a new user. Scored CVSS 9.1 (CWE-287); no public exploit identified at time of analysis, though the underlying behavior has been openly documented for years.
RemediationAI
No vendor-released patch version was identified at time of analysis; the GitHub advisory (https://github.com/filebrowser/filebrowser/security/advisories/GHSA-xqp3-jq6g-x3qm) documents the issue, so monitor it for a fixed release and upgrade once published. As immediate compensating controls: if you do not require proxy authentication, switch auth.method away from proxy (e.g., to JSON/password or noauth-behind-proxy as appropriate) to eliminate the trusted-header assumption entirely. If proxy auth is required, ensure the File Browser process is never directly reachable - bind it to localhost or an internal interface and force all traffic through the reverse proxy (trade-off: requires correct network segmentation and breaks any direct-access workflows), and configure the proxy to strip and re-set the identity header on every inbound request so client-supplied values cannot pass through (trade-off: misconfiguration silently reopens the bypass). Additionally restrict network access to the service port via firewall rules to the proxy host only, and audit user accounts for unexpected auto-created usernames.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 3 packages in go, euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
File Browser is a Go-based self-hosted web interface for browsing, uploading, editing, and deleting files in a target directory, identified here by cpe:2.3:a:filebrowser:filebrowser. The issue lives in its proxy-authentication mode (auth/proxy.go and http/auth.go around lines 121-137), a deployment pattern intended for use behind a trusted reverse proxy that performs authentication and injects the verified identity into a request header. The root cause is CWE-287 (Improper Authentication): the application trusts the user-identity header unconditionally and does not verify that the request actually originated from the trusted proxy. When the server is reachable directly (bypassing the proxy), an attacker controls that header outright, so identity assertion collapses into a client-supplied value.
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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:N
Once proxy auth is enabled, a single forged header gives unauthenticated remote admin (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N); full file read/write/delete justifies C:H/I:H/A:H, with the non-default config noted as a deployment precondition rather than attacker complexity.
Primary rating from Vendor (GitHub_M).
CVSS VectorVendor: GitHub_M
DescriptionCVE.org
File Browser is a file managing interface for uploading, deleting, previewing, renaming, and editing files within a specified directory. Starting with 2.0.0-rc.1, when FileBrowser is configured with proxy authentication (auth.method=proxy), any unauthenticated attacker who can reach the server directly can impersonate any user - including admin - by sending a single forged HTTP header. No credentials are required. Additionally, specifying a non-existent username causes the server to automatically create a new user account, providing an account creation primitive with no authorization. This is an already known issue that has been documented in the documentation for several years, but has not been documented as a vulnerability before.
Executive ViewAI
File Browser versions 2.0.0-rc.1 and later contain a critical authentication bypass vulnerability (CVSS 9.1) that permits unauthenticated remote attackers to impersonate any user account, including administrators, by manipulating HTTP headers when proxy authentication is enabled. This exposes all user accounts and administrative functions to immediate account takeover and unauthorized account creation. No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis, creating urgent operational risk for any production deployment.
Disable proxy authentication method immediately (auth.method=proxy must not be used for security). Network-level: restrict File Browser access via firewall to internal trusted networks only; require VPN for all remote access. Monitoring: enable access logging and alert on new account creation, failed authentication attempts, and privilege escalation events. If File Browser is business-critical, deploy behind additional reverse-proxy authentication layer (OIDC, OAuth, SAML). Preferred: disable File Browser entirely until patch is released if not essential to operations.
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
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.
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Same weakness CWE-287 – Improper Authentication
View allSame technique Authentication Bypass
View allVendor StatusVendor
SUSE
Severity: Critical| Product | Status |
|---|---|
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16.1 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP applications 16.1 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Package Hub 15 SP5 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Package Hub 15 SP6 | Affected |
| openSUSE Leap 15.5 | Affected |
| openSUSE Leap 15.6 | Affected |
EUVD-2026-39508
GHSA-xqp3-jq6g-x3qm
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB