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Full vulnerability report · 2026
CVE-2026-23760High confidence

SmarterTools SmarterMail Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel Vulnerability

SmarterTools · SmarterMail

9.3CriticalCVSS 4.0
Recommended action
Patch now

CISA confirms exploitation in the wild and lists 2026-02-16 as the remediation due date.

Patch available
R
Operational reassessment

Published severity in operational context

Open reassessment dashboard →
Published severityCriticalOperational priority:Critical, unchanged from published severity.unchanged

Evidence used

  • CISA confirms exploitation in the wild.
  • A structured source references public exploit or proof-of-concept material.
  • The selected CVSS metric records a network-reachable, unauthenticated path with no user interaction.
  • EPSS is 96.43% for the current model date.

Compensating controls

  • Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
  • Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
  • Increase monitoring for the attack path and post-exploitation behaviour described in the report.

Verification

  1. Confirm that the asset runs SmarterTools SmarterMail and falls inside the recorded affected range.
  2. Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
  3. Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
  4. Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Mitigation target: Within 3 daysRemediation target: Within 90 days

This automated reassessment organises public evidence. It does not know asset exposure, business impact or control effectiveness and does not replace CVSS or a human risk decision.

Optional official sources

National CERT insights
?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

Choose official national sources for this report. Each advisory shows its original language. Your selection is remembered on this device and included in shared links.

Official European source

ENISA European Vulnerability Database

Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.

1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier

EUVD-2026-4143

CISA KEV mirrored by ENISA

SmarterTools SmarterMail versions prior to build 9511 contain an authentication bypass vulnerability in the password reset API. The force-reset-password endpoint permits anonymous requests and fails to verify the existing password or a reset token when resetting system administrator accounts. An unauthenticated attacker can supply a target administrator username and a new password to reset the account, resulting in full administrative compromise of the SmarterMail instance. NOTE: SmarterMail system administrator privileges grant the ability to execute operating system commands via built-in management functionality, effectively providing administrative (SYSTEM or root) access on the underlying host.

EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Recorded by ENISA since 26 Jan 2026. Evidence sources: cisa_kev.
ENISA score
9.3 · CVSS 4.0
Advisory evidence
2 linked advisory records
Explicit mitigation evidence

Only statements that explicitly mention a fix, patch, update, workaround or mitigation are shown here.

  • csaf_ncscnl · NCSC-2026-0040Kwetsbaarheid verholpen in SmarterTools SmarterMail
Recommended actionPatch now

CISA confirms exploitation in the wild and lists 2026-02-16 as the remediation due date.

Patch available
01

What, why and how

SmarterTools SmarterMail contains an authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel vulnerability in the password reset API. The force-reset-password endpoint permits anonymous requests and fails to verify the existing password or a reset token when resetting system administrator accounts. This could allow an unauthenticated attacker to supply a target administrator username and a new password to reset the account, resulting in full administrative compromise of the SmarterMail instance.

What

SmarterTools SmarterMail contains an authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel vulnerability in the password reset API. The force-reset-password endpoint permits anonymous requests and fails to verify the existing password or a reset token when resetting system administrator accounts. This could allow an unauthenticated attacker to supply a target administrator username and a new password to reset the account, resulting in full administrative compromise of the SmarterMail instance.

Why

The product requires authentication, but the product has an alternate path or channel that does not require authentication.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may bypass an access boundary or take over an account.

What

SmarterTools SmarterMail contains an authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel vulnerability in the password reset API. The force-reset-password endpoint permits anonymous requests and fails to verify the existing password or a reset token when resetting system administrator accounts. This could allow an unauthenticated attacker to supply a target administrator username and a new password to reset the account, resulting in full administrative compromise of the SmarterMail instance.

Why

The product requires authentication, but the product has an alternate path or channel that does not require authentication.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may bypass an access boundary or take over an account.

02

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
Confirmed in the wild

CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2026-01-26. Known ransomware campaign use is recorded.

Public PoC / exploit material
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
Reference recorded

A structured CVE source labels at least one public reference as exploit material. BlackTree has not independently validated that it is safe, reliable or weaponised.

Likely attack path
a network path → Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel → bypass an access boundary or take over an account
Attack surface
Network
Privileges required
None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
Security boundary
Not a CVSS 4.0 base metric
Weakness
?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-288 ↗

CWE-288: Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel. The product requires authentication, but the product has an alternate path or channel that does not require authentication.

CVSS vector
?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
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

Common Vulnerability Scoring System 4.0: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.

AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.ATNoneAttack requirements: No additional deployment or execution condition is required.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.VCHighVulnerable-system confidentiality: A successful attack can cause a major loss.VIHighVulnerable-system integrity: A successful attack can cause a major loss.VAHighVulnerable-system availability: A successful attack can cause a major loss.SCNoneSubsequent-system confidentiality: No direct loss is represented by this metric.SINoneSubsequent-system integrity: No direct loss is represented by this metric.SANoneSubsequent-system availability: No direct loss is represented by this metric.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
Stolen credentials, tokens and legitimate administration functions may provide continued access without deploying a large custom toolset.
NetworkUnauthenticatedCWE-288CISA KEVPublic exploit reference
A

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-4143Known-exploited evidence recorded

SmarterTools SmarterMail versions prior to build 9511 contain an authentication bypass vulnerability in the password reset API. The force-reset-password endpoint permits anonymous requests and fails to verify the existing password or a reset token when resetting system administrator accounts. An unauthenticated attacker can supply a target administrator username and a new password to reset the account, resulting in full administrative compromise of the SmarterMail instance. NOTE: SmarterMail system administrator privileges grant the ability to execute operating system commands via built-in management functionality, effectively providing administrative (SYSTEM or root) access on the underlying host.

Official EUVD record ↗
BSI · German · WID-SEC-2026-0133SmarterTools SmarterMail: Mehrere Schwachstellen

Ein entfernter, anonymer Angreifer kann mehrere Schwachstellen in SmarterTools SmarterMail ausnutzen, um einen nicht näher spezifizierten Angriff durchzuführen und um sich Administratorrechte zu verschaffen oder Code auszuführen.

Official advisory ↗
Cyber Security Agency of Singapore · English · CSA-SB-20260128Security Bulletin 28 Jan 2026

The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore included this CVE in its official Security Bulletin 28 Jan 2026, published on 28 January 2026. Open the linked bulletin for the product, severity and reference information published in that issue.

Official advisory ↗
JVN iPedia · Japanese · JVNDB-2026-001976SmarterTools Inc.のSmarterMailにおける代替パスまたはチャネルを使用した認証回避に関する脆弱性

SmarterToolsのSmarterMailバージョン9511より前のビルドには、パスワードリセットAPIに認証をバイパスされる脆弱性があります。force-reset-passwordエンドポイントは匿名のリクエストを許可しており、システム管理者アカウントのリセット時に既存のパスワードやリセットトークンの検証を行いません。認証されていない攻撃者がターゲットの管理者ユーザー名と新しいパスワードを提供することでアカウントをリセットでき、SmarterMailインスタンスの完全な管理者権限を奪取される可能性があります。注：SmarterMailのシステム管理者権限は、組み込みの管理機能を介してオペレーティングシステムコマンドを実行可能にし、基盤となるホストに対して実質的に管理者（SYSTEMまたはroot）アクセスを提供します。

Official advisory ↗
KISA KrCERT/CC · Korean · KNVD-6673美 CISA 발표 주요 Exploit 정보공유(Update. 2026-01-26)

SmarterTools SmarterMail contains an authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel vulnerability in the password reset API. The force-reset-password endpoint permits anonymous requests and fails to verify the existing password or a reset token when resetting system administrator accounts. This could allow an unauthenticated attacker to supply a target administrator username and a new password to reset the account, resulting in full administrative compromise of the SmarterMail instance.

Official advisory ↗
NCSC-NL · Dutch · NCSC-2026-0040Kwetsbaarheid verholpen in SmarterTools SmarterMail

Een kwaadwillende kan de kwetsbaarheden misbruiken om authenticatie te omzeilen en willekeurige code uit te voeren met rechten van de beheerder, en mogelijk SYSTEM. Voor succesvol misbruik moet de kwaadwillende toegang hebben tot de API-interface (met name de `/api/v1/auth/force-reset-password` endpoint) en kan op die manier zonder voorafgaande authenticatie het wachtwoord van een beheerder resetten door middel van een speciaal geprepareerd HTTP-verzoek. Ook kan een kwaadwillende een malafide HTTP-server inrichten, om daarmee een slachtoffer te misleiden deze te bezoeken en zo willekeurige code uit te voeren op de kwetsbare server. Voor de kwetsbaarheid met kenmerk CVE-2026-23760 is Proof-of-Concept-code gepubliceerd en het Amerikaanse CISA heeft de kwetsbaarheid op de Known Exploited Vulnerabilities-lijst geplaatst, wat aangeeft dat de kwetsbaarheid actief is misbruikt. **Update** Er wordt inmiddels ook misbruik waargenomen van de kwetsbaarheid met kenmerk CVE-2026-24423, waarmee een kwaadwillende willekeurige code kan uitvoeren op de kwetsbare server. Er is (nog) geen publieke Proof-of-Concept-code of exploit beschikbaar, en voor zover bekend vereist misbruik een speciaal ingerichte server onder controle van de kwaadwillende.

Official advisory ↗
03

Patch and workaround

Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.

Status
?Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Patch available
Affected
SmarterMail: < 100.0.9511
Fixed
An authoritative update reference is available, but the fixed version is not recorded in the structured CVE fields. Check the linked vendor advisory for the applicable release.
Action
Review the linked authoritative reference and apply the recorded fixed release appropriate to the affected product branch.
Workaround
No verified workaround is recorded. If business-safe, reduce exposure to the affected interface and allow only trusted sources until authoritative guidance is available.
04

Evidence and provenance

Published 22 Jan 2026 · Last source change 4 Aug 2026, 03:56 UTC · CWE-288 · Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel

CVE recordCVE.org · 5.2
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source
?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.
FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-4143
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD enriched

Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates ↗
  1. BlackTree coverageBlackTree article coverage changed from no BlackTree article to 1 BlackTree article.
    Before
    no BlackTree article
    After
    1 BlackTree article
    BlackTree editorial ↗
  2. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    < 100.0.9511 · Fixed: No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
    After
    SmarterMail: < 100.0.9511 · Fixed: No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
    CNA ↗
Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
CVE published
Added to CISA KEV
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-4143↗CISA KEV record↗CVE authority or vendor reference↗Public exploit reference↗Public exploit reference↗Official CVE record (CNA and ADP data)↗NVD record↗
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS
Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS
Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE
Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA
CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD
National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT
A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC
Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF
Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL
Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.
Free version - for non-commercial use only.CVE-2026-23760 · cve.blacktree.nl