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SiYuan EUVDEUVD-2026-59942

| CVE-2026-73056 CRITICAL
Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts (CWE-307)
2026-08-16 VulnCheck GHSA-v5mj-g3f2-mwr9
9.3
CVSS 4.0 · Vendor: VulnCheck
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Locate exposed SiYuan kernel API
  2. Delivery
    Automate ?token= guesses via CheckAuth()
  3. Exploit
    No lockout/CAPTCHA throttles attempts
  4. Execution
    Recover weak custom token
  5. Persist
    Gain RoleAdministrator
  6. Impact
    Perform arbitrary file ops and SQL queries

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A07:2025 - Authentication Failures
ASVS 5.0
V6 - Authentication Brute-force prevention, rate limiting
Exploitation Conditions

The SiYuan kernel's HTTP API must be network-reachable to the attacker, and a custom Conf.Api.Token that is short or weak must have been configured - this is the concrete precondition the description calls out ('particularly when a short or weak custom token has been configured'). No authentication is required to attempt guesses (PR:N), because the vulnerability is the absence of lockout/CAPTCHA on the token path itself. The primary limiting factor is token entropy: SiYuan's default token is a long random string, so default-configured instances are effectively infeasible to brute force despite the missing throttle; exploitation realistically requires either a weak operator-set token or an otherwise leaked/partially-known token, plus exposure of the kernel port beyond localhost.

Impact

The signals are mixed rather than uniformly alarming. The CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N, VC:H/VI:H/VA:H = 9.3) models a trivially reachable, high-impact network flaw, but the description adds a decisive caveat the base score does not capture: brute force is only realistically feasible 'when a short or weak custom token has been configured,' because SiYuan's default token is a long random value that resists guessing even without throttling. It is not in CISA KEV, no EPSS figure was provided, and no POC was supplied, so this is best treated as a real-but-conditional priority rather than mass-exploited: no public exploit identified at time of analysis. Deployments that kept the default token are largely protected by entropy, whereas any operator - even a mid-sized municipal IT team in swidnica that set a memorable short token and exposed the kernel to the internet - should treat this as urgent and rotate to a strong token immediately. Absent EPSS and KEV data, real-world exploitation likelihood cannot be quantified from the input and should be assumed higher for internet-exposed instances with weak custom tokens.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker discovers an internet-exposed SiYuan kernel and runs an automated tool that submits thousands of ?token= or Authorization: Token guesses per minute, encountering no CAPTCHA, lockout, or delay. Because the operator configured a short custom token, the guessing succeeds within a practical timeframe, after which the attacker holds RoleAdministrator and pivots to reading/writing arbitrary files and executing SQL queries. No POC was provided, so this scenario reflects the described mechanism rather than a confirmed public exploit.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: CRITICAL severity.
Patch available 0.4% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 16, 2026

Unthrottled API-token brute force in SiYuan kernel before 3.7.4 lets an unauthenticated remote attacker repeatedly guess the Conf.Api.Token because the CheckAuth() middleware bypasses the app's CAPTCHA/lockout controls (NeedCaptcha/WrongAuthCount). Reported by VulnCheck and fixed in 3.7.4, a successful guess yields full RoleAdministrator access, permitting arbitrary file operations and SQL queries. There is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and it is not in CISA KEV, though the CVSS 4.0 base score is 9.3.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: 3.7.4 - upgrade the SiYuan kernel to 3.7.4 or later, per advisory GHSA-m6w6-p7pc-fpg2 (https://github.com/siyuan-note/siyuan/security/advisories/GHSA-m6w6-p7pc-fpg2). If you cannot patch immediately, the most effective compensating control is to replace any short or human-chosen custom API token with a long, high-entropy random value, which restores brute-force resistance at the cost of no longer being human-memorable; additionally, do not expose the kernel's HTTP port to untrusted networks - bind it to localhost or place it behind a reverse proxy/VPN with its own authentication and rate limiting (trade-off: breaks direct remote API clients and mobile/sync access that rely on the exposed port). Where feasible, front the service with a WAF or proxy that enforces request throttling and lockout on the /api paths and on requests carrying a ?token= parameter, accepting that aggressive throttling may affect legitimate high-volume API automation.

Affected VersionsENISA

SiYuan 0 <3.7.4

Affected Packages

euvd siyuan fix: 3.7.4

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

SiYuan is a self-hosted, block-based personal knowledge-management/note-taking application whose Go 'kernel' process exposes an HTTP API. Authentication to that API is gated by a single shared secret, Conf.Api.Token, which CheckAuth() accepts either from an Authorization header (Token/Bearer schemes) or from a ?token= URL query parameter. The root cause maps to CWE-307 (Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts): the interactive login path enforces failed-attempt counting and CAPTCHA (WrongAuthCount/NeedCaptcha), but the token-verification path in CheckAuth() never increments or consults those counters, so token submission is rate-limit-free. The affected component is identified by CPE cpe:2.3:a:siyuan-note:siyuan (all versions prior to 3.7.4).

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Severity by source

Vendor (VulnCheck) PRIMARY 9.3 CRITICAL
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
vuln.today AI 8.1 HIGH

Network, no auth and no user interaction, but success depends on a weak/short custom token since default tokens are long-random and resist guessing, so AC:H; full admin gives C/I/A High.

3.1 AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (VulnCheck).

CVSS VectorVendor: VulnCheck

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Requirements
None
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Vulnerable system: Confidentiality
High
Vulnerable system: Integrity
High
Vulnerable system: Availability
High
Subsequent system: Confidentiality
None
Subsequent system: Integrity
None
Subsequent system: Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch available
Aug 16, 2026 - 14:01 EUVD
CVE Published
Aug 16, 2026 - 13:14 cve.org
CRITICAL 9.3

DescriptionCVE.org

SiYuan kernel versions before 3.7.4 contain an improper restriction of excessive authentication attempts vulnerability in the CheckAuth() middleware. The middleware accepts the API token (Conf.Api.Token) via an Authorization header (Token/Bearer) or a ?token= query parameter, and neither path is protected by the application's CAPTCHA/lockout mechanism (NeedCaptcha/WrongAuthCount). As a result, an unauthenticated remote attacker can perform unlimited automated guesses of the API token, particularly when a short or weak custom token has been configured, and upon success gains full RoleAdministrator access enabling arbitrary file operations and SQL queries.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

SiYuan versions before 3.7.4 contain a critical vulnerability allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to brute-force API authentication tokens without rate limiting, resulting in full administrative access. Successful exploitation enables complete data compromise, unauthorized file operations, and direct database manipulation, affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability of all SiYuan deployments.

Business Impact: Severe
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch: upgrade to SiYuan version 3.7.4 or later.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.4%
Top 63% exploitable
Prevalence
Low
niche self-hosted open-source note-taking app, limited enterprise footprint
Social Media
6
Sightings
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

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.

SignalValue
Severity CRITICAL
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.4%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
CRITICAL severity
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Out-of-Cycle
Exploitation
Poc
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
Yes
Human Impact
Very High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

46
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +46
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.

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