Summary
Pterodactyl endlessly reprocesses/reuploads activity log data due to SQLite max parameters limit not being considered
Wings does not consider SQLite max parameter limit when processing activity log entries allowing for low privileged user to trigger a condition that floods the panel with activity records
Details
After wings sends activity logs to the panel it deletes the processed activity entries from the wings SQLite database. However, it does not consider the max parameter limit of SQLite, 32766 as of SQLite 3.32.0.
If wings attempts to delete more than 32766 entries from the SQLite database in one query, it triggers an error (SQL logic error: too many SQL variables (1)) and does not remove any entries from the database. These entries are then indefinitely re-processed and resent to the panel each time the cron runs.
https://github.com/pterodactyl/wings/blob/9ffbcdcdb1163da823cf9959b9602df9f7dcb54a/internal/cron/activity_cron.go#L81
https://github.com/pterodactyl/wings/blob/9ffbcdcdb1163da823cf9959b9602df9f7dcb54a/internal/cron/sftp_cron.go#L86
PoC
Any method that can create the required 32767+ activity entries can trigger this vulnerability. It can (and has) been triggered by normal (non-malicious) use. I attached a simple PoC I used while verifying this that uses sftp to quickly create many small files, thus creating activity entries in the SQLite database.
https://ptero.co/mococesoca.go
Impact
By successfully exploiting this vulnerability you can trigger a situation where wings will keep uploading the same activity data to the panel repeatedly (growing each time to include new activity) until the panels’ database server runs out of disk space.
Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service. Typical impact: denial of service.
CVE-2026-21696 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (1.12.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-21696? CVE-2026-21696 is a high-severity uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in github.com/pterodactyl/wings (go), affecting versions >= 1.7.0, < 1.12.0. It is fixed in 1.12.0. Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service.
- How severe is CVE-2026-21696? CVE-2026-21696 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of github.com/pterodactyl/wings are affected by CVE-2026-21696? github.com/pterodactyl/wings (go) versions >= 1.7.0, < 1.12.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-21696? Yes. CVE-2026-21696 is fixed in 1.12.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-21696 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-21696 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-21696 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-21696? Upgrade
github.com/pterodactyl/wingsto 1.12.0 or later.