Summary
Fleet has an SQL Injection vulnerability via backtick escape in ORDER BY parameter
A SQL Injection vulnerability in Fleet’s software versions API allowed authenticated users to inject arbitrary SQL expressions via the order_key query parameter. Due to unsafe use of goqu.I() when constructing the ORDER BY clause, specially crafted input could escape identifier quoting and be interpreted as executable SQL.
Workarounds
If an immediate upgrade is not possible, users should restrict access to the affected endpoint to trusted roles only and ensure that any user-supplied sort or column parameters are strictly allow-listed at the application or proxy layer.
For more information
If there are any questions or comments about this advisory:
Email fleet at [email protected]
Join #fleet in osquery Slack
Credits
We thank @fuzzztf for responsibly reporting this issue.
Impact
An authenticated attacker with access to the affected endpoint could inject SQL expressions into the underlying MySQL query. Although the injection occurs in an ORDER BY context, it is sufficient to enable blind SQL injection techniques that can disclose database information through conditional expressions that affect result ordering. Crafted expressions may also cause excessive computation or query failures, potentially leading to degraded performance or denial of service.
No direct evidence of reliable data modification or stacked query execution was demonstrated.
Untrusted input alters a database query, allowing the attacker to read or modify data the query was not intended to access. Typical impact: data disclosure or modification.
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-2026-26186? CVE-2026-26186 is a medium-severity SQL injection vulnerability in github.com/fleetdm/fleet/v4 (go), affecting versions < 4.80.1. It is fixed in 4.80.1. Untrusted input alters a database query, allowing the attacker to read or modify data the query was not intended to access.
- Which versions of github.com/fleetdm/fleet/v4 are affected by CVE-2026-26186? github.com/fleetdm/fleet/v4 (go) versions < 4.80.1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-26186? Yes. CVE-2026-26186 is fixed in 4.80.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-26186 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-26186 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-2026-26186 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-2026-26186? Upgrade
github.com/fleetdm/fleet/v4to 4.80.1 or later.