Summary
Open WebUI: Scheduled automations continue after pending-user deactivation and stored model ACL revocation
Title: Scheduled automations continue after pending-user deactivation and stored model ACL revocation
Open WebUI documents pending as a zero-access role used for new sign-ups and deactivated users, and normal HTTP routes enforce that with get_verified_user() (which rejects pending), while automation create/update/run routes additionally require the features.automations permission. Two paths missed that lifecycle gate, so a deactivated (pending) account could keep acting through the background automation scheduler:
- Scheduler did not re-gate the owner. When a stored automation became due,
execute_automation()rehydrated the owner withUsers.get_user_by_id(...)and re-entered the chat completion pipeline without re-checking that the owner was stilluser/adminor still heldfeatures.automations. A still-active automation therefore kept running after its owner was deactivated. - Model ACL only enforced for exact role
user.check_model_access()applied private-model grants only whenuser.role == "user", so apendingprincipal fell through a branch that denies a normal non-owneruser.
Net effect: a deactivated account could continue scheduled chat generation through the background worker, consuming the operator's configured model-provider credentials and reaching a stored automation model ID that its current role/ACL state would no longer permit through normal routes.
Patched
In 0.10.0:
execute_automation()aborts and records an error unless the rehydrated owner is stilluseroradminand (for non-admins) still holdsfeatures.automations, so a deactivated or de-permissioned owner's due automation no longer runs.check_model_access()enforces model ACLs for every non-admin role rather than only the exact roleuser, so apendingor otherwise unrecognised role no longer falls through.
Credits
@rexpository
Impact
A pending/deactivated account continues to execute due scheduled automations after its access has been revoked, consuming the operator's provider credentials, quota and shared capacity, and bypassing the private-model ACL for the automation's stored model ID. Exploitation requires a previously created active automation and a later transition to pending (deactivation or approval rollback), so it is bounded and not interactive. It does not grant unauthenticated access, account takeover, code execution, or cross-user data exfiltration.
The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation. Typical impact: unauthorized access to restricted functionality or data.
CVE-2026-59226 has a CVSS score of 3.1 (Low). 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 (0.10.0); 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-2026-59226? CVE-2026-59226 is a low-severity missing authorization vulnerability in open-webui (pip), affecting versions >= 0.9.0, < 0.10.0. It is fixed in 0.10.0. The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation.
- How severe is CVE-2026-59226? CVE-2026-59226 has a CVSS score of 3.1 (Low). 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-2026-59226? open-webui (pip) versions >= 0.9.0, < 0.10.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-59226? Yes. CVE-2026-59226 is fixed in 0.10.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-59226 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-59226 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-2026-59226 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-2026-59226? Upgrade
open-webuito 0.10.0 or later.