Summary
New API: User List API Leaks Root User Access Token Leading to Privilege Escalation
Vulnerability Information
- Product: new-api
- Affected versions: versions before
v1.0.0-rc.7that serializeUser.AccessTokenasaccess_token; the issue was confirmed inv0.12.14 - Patched version:
v1.0.0-rc.7 - Fixed commit:
0936e2504655a5cbf7bc3c388f6d3e2bb24916d3 - Type: Information Disclosure / Privilege Escalation
Description
In affected versions of new-api, the admin user list and user lookup APIs can return the access_token field for users, including the root user. An authenticated admin user can call endpoints such as GET /api/user/ to retrieve user records. Because access tokens function as bearer credentials for API authentication, leaking the root user's access token allows an admin user to authenticate as root and access root-only endpoints such as system configuration APIs.
This bypasses the intended role boundary between admin users and the root user and can result in privilege escalation to full system control.
Root Cause
The User.AccessToken field was serialized as json:"access_token" in affected versions. User management APIs returned User model objects directly after omitting only the password field from database queries, so JSON serialization could include access_token in API responses.
Affected code patterns include user list, user search, and user detail paths that use Omit("password") without preventing access_token from being serialized.
Impact
- An authenticated admin user may obtain the root user's access token.
- The attacker may impersonate the root user and access root-only APIs.
- The attacker may modify system settings, payment settings, OAuth/SMTP-related configuration, and other sensitive platform options.
- Access tokens for other users may also be exposed, enabling user impersonation.
CVE-2026-64859 has a CVSS score of 9.1 (Critical). The vector is network-reachable, high 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 (1.0.0-rc.7); 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.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
Upgrade to v1.0.0-rc.7 or later. The fix changes User.AccessToken to use json:"-", preventing the field from being serialized in API responses.
Operators should also rotate any root or user access tokens that may have been exposed before upgrading, especially if untrusted admin users had access to user management APIs.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-64859? CVE-2026-64859 is a critical-severity security vulnerability in github.com/QuantumNous/new-api (go), affecting versions < 1.0.0-rc.7. It is fixed in 1.0.0-rc.7.
- How severe is CVE-2026-64859? CVE-2026-64859 has a CVSS score of 9.1 (Critical). 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/QuantumNous/new-api are affected by CVE-2026-64859? github.com/QuantumNous/new-api (go) versions < 1.0.0-rc.7 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-64859? Yes. CVE-2026-64859 is fixed in 1.0.0-rc.7. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-64859 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-64859 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-2026-64859 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-2026-64859? Upgrade
github.com/QuantumNous/new-apito 1.0.0-rc.7 or later.