Summary
Open WebUI has Stored XSS in Pending User Overlay via Incorrect DOMPurify Application Order
Impact
An admin can inject arbitrary JavaScript into the Pending User Overlay Content that executes in the browser context of any pending user who views the overlay page. This could be used to:
- Session hijacking: Steal pending users' JWT tokens from cookies/localStorage
- Credential theft: Replace the pending overlay with a fake login form
- Phishing: Redirect pending users to malicious sites
While this requires admin privileges to set the overlay content, it enables an admin to attack pending users (who have not yet been granted full access). In multi-admin deployments, a compromised admin account could use this to escalate attacks.
Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session. Typical impact: session or credential theft, and actions taken as the user.
CVE-2026-44568 has a CVSS score of 4.8 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, high privileges required, and user interaction required. 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 (0.9.0); 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.
Remediation advice
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-44568? CVE-2026-44568 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in open-webui (pip), affecting versions <= 0.8.12. It is fixed in 0.9.0. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.
- How severe is CVE-2026-44568? CVE-2026-44568 has a CVSS score of 4.8 (Medium). 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 open-webui are affected by CVE-2026-44568? open-webui (pip) versions <= 0.8.12 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44568? Yes. CVE-2026-44568 is fixed in 0.9.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-44568 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-44568 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-2026-44568 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-2026-44568? Upgrade
open-webuito 0.9.0 or later.