CVE-2026-76216

CVE-2026-76216 is a high-severity type confusion vulnerability in code.vikunja.io/api (go), affecting versions < 2.5.0. It is fixed in 2.5.0.

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Summary

Vikunja: Link-share principal-type confusion enables cross-account team removal, bot takeover, and roster disclosure

Vikunja's web.Auth interface (pkg/web/web.go, single method GetID() int64) is satisfied by BOTH *user.User and *models.LinkSharing. A link-share's GetID() returns the raw positive share.ID (pkg/models/link_sharing.go:83-85), which lives in the same positive autoincrement ID space as users.id. The safe negated form getUserID() = share.ID * -1 (link_sharing.go:126-128) exists but is NOT used at three permission sinks. As a result, a link-share principal with id N, which should have zero authority over teams or bot users, is treated as the user whose users.id == N at three permission checks that lack the a.(*LinkSharing) guard their sibling methods have. This is the same principal-type-confusion class as CVE-2026-68581 (GHSA-vvcv-vpph-h844), but at three code paths that advisory/fix never touched.

Root Cause

web.Auth is a one-method interface (GetID() int64). *LinkSharing.GetID() returns the raw positive share id. Three permission methods compare this raw id directly and omit the link-share type guard used elsewhere in the same files:

  1. TeamMember.CanDelete (pkg/models/team_members_permissions.go:31-40): the self-removal fast path if u.ID == a.GetID() { return true } (:36) executes before IsAdmin. IsAdmin (:48-51) is the ONLY place that rejects link shares (if _, is := a.(*LinkSharing); is { return false }, :50), and it is never reached when the fast path returns true.
  2. BotUser.isOwner (pkg/models/bot_users_permissions.go:47-56): return u.BotOwnerID == a.GetID() (:55), used by CanRead/CanUpdate/CanDelete (:36-45). Unlike CanCreate (:27-30) which type-asserts a.(*user.User), these three paths have no principal guard.
  3. Team.CanRead (pkg/models/teams_permissions.go:68-78): matches membership on And("user_id = ?", a.GetID()) (:76) with no link-share guard, unlike sibling IsAdmin (:45-49, guard at :47).

Link-share JWTs reach these routes: SetupTokenMiddleware validates the signature only, GetAuthFromClaims returns *models.LinkSharing, and the /user//teams route groups add no link-share rejection. Link sharing is enabled by default (config.go ServiceEnableLinkSharing.setDefault(true)).

Attack Chain

Sink 1, TeamMember.CanDelete (integrity)

  1. Entry: POST /api/v1/shares/{hash}/auth → link-share JWT with id = N. Guard: JWT middleware, signature only. Bypass proof: GetAuthFromClaims returns *models.LinkSharing; no route-group link-share rejection on the /teams group.
  2. Action: DELETE /api/v1/teams/{T}/members/{usernameOfUserN} with the link-share bearer, targeting a team T (≥2 members) that user N belongs to. Guard: CanDelete → GetUserByUsername(tm.Username) returns user N, then u.ID == a.GetID() (team_members_permissions.go:36). Bypass proof: a.GetID() returns N (raw positive share.ID, link_sharing.go:84) == user N's id → true. No a.(*LinkSharing) check on this branch (only IsAdmin at :50 has it, never reached).
  3. Sink: Delete (team_members.go) removes user N from team T (last-member check passes when team has ≥2 members). Impact: victim loses all project access inherited through team T.

Sink 2, BotUser.isOwner (bot takeover / destruction)

  1. Entry: link-share JWT id N (as above). Guard: signature-only; /user group adds no link-share reject.
  2. Enumerate: GET /api/v1/user/bots → ReadAll runs Where("bot_owner_id = ?", a.GetID()) = bots owned by user N. Bypass proof: a.GetID() = N; returns victim's bot ids self-contained (removes the id-guessing barrier).
  3. Sink: DELETE /api/v1/user/bots/{botId} → CanDelete → isOwner → u.BotOwnerID == a.GetID() (bot_users_permissions.go:55) → true; Delete calls DeleteUser. Bypass proof: no a.(*LinkSharing) guard here (Create-only, :28). Impact: disable/rename/permanently delete victim's bot automation identities.

Sink 3, Team.CanRead (info disclosure)

  1. Entry: link-share JWT id N. Guard: signature-only; no reject on GET /teams/:team.
  2. Sink: GET /api/v1/teams/{T} → CanRead runs Where("team_id=?", t.ID).And("user_id=?", a.GetID()).Get(tm) (teams_permissions.go:74-77). Bypass proof: a.GetID() = N matches user N's team_members row → can = true; no a.(*LinkSharing) check (contrast IsAdmin at :47). Impact: read roster + metadata of a team the link share is not part of.

Bypass Evidence

  • link_sharing.go:83-85 GetID() returns raw positive share.ID (NOT the negated getUserID() at :126-128).
  • team_members_permissions.go:36 raw u.ID == a.GetID() before IsAdmin; the LinkSharing guard sits at :50 on a branch never reached when the fast path returns true.
  • bot_users_permissions.go:55 raw u.BotOwnerID == a.GetID(); the a.(*user.User) guard at :28 is Create-only and NOT replicated on isOwner.
  • teams_permissions.go:76 raw a.GetID() in CanRead; sibling IsAdmin has the guard at :47, CanRead omits it.
  • All three sinks verified present on latest release tag v2.4.0 (git show v2.4.0:<file>). No fix commits touch these files between v2.4.0 and HEAD (the only post-tag commit to link_sharing.go, c580d51, merely shadows an embedded Update method).

Affected Versions

<= 2.4.0 (latest release; also present on HEAD of main). Requires default-enabled link sharing.

Exploitability Constraint (reflected in AC:H)

The attacker cannot freely choose the colliding id, link_shares.id is autoincrement. Exploitation is (a) opportunistic (a guest holding a share with id N attacks the user whose users.id == N) or (b) targeted (self-register and walk the autoincrement toward a chosen id; low-numbered shares collide with low-numbered/early/admin accounts). This is the identical constraint the accepted CVE-2026-68581 had; it affects target selection (AC), not reachability of the boundary crossing.

Impact

A link-share principal (obtainable from any public share link, or self-registered via a share on the attacker's own project) whose id N collides with a victim's users.id == N can, without being that user or any user:

  • Integrity (I:H): remove the victim from any team they belong to (DELETE /api/v1/teams/{T}/members/{username}) → revokes all project permissions the victim inherited through that team.
  • Availability/Integrity (A:H, I:H): enumerate the victim's bot users (GET /api/v1/user/bots → bot_owner_id = a.GetID()), then disable/rename or permanently delete them (DELETE /api/v1/user/bots/{id} → DeleteUser), destroying data owned solely by those bots.
  • Confidentiality (C:H): read the roster + metadata (name, description, full member list) of any team the colliding user belongs to (GET /api/v1/teams/{T}), plus read bot-user records via isOwner-gated reads.

An object is accessed using a type that is incompatible with its actual type, causing the runtime to interpret memory incorrectly. Typical impact: memory safety violations, unexpected behavior, or code execution.

CVE-2026-76216 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (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 (2.5.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

code.vikunja.io/api (< 2.5.0)

Security releases

code.vikunja.io/api → 2.5.0 (go)

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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Remediation advice

Add the link-share principal guard (if _, is := a.(*LinkSharing); is { return false }), which IsAdmin/CanCreate already use, to all three sinks: the TeamMember.CanDelete self-removal fast path (before the u.ID == a.GetID() check), BotUser.isOwner, and Team.CanRead. Alternatively, resolve principals through getUserID() (negated id space) at every permission check so link-share ids can never collide with user ids.

Reported by zx (Jace), GitHub: @manus-use

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is CVE-2026-76216? CVE-2026-76216 is a high-severity type confusion vulnerability in code.vikunja.io/api (go), affecting versions < 2.5.0. It is fixed in 2.5.0. An object is accessed using a type that is incompatible with its actual type, causing the runtime to interpret memory incorrectly.
  2. How severe is CVE-2026-76216? CVE-2026-76216 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (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.
  3. Which versions of code.vikunja.io/api are affected by CVE-2026-76216? code.vikunja.io/api (go) versions < 2.5.0 is affected.
  4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-76216? Yes. CVE-2026-76216 is fixed in 2.5.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
  5. Is CVE-2026-76216 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-76216 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
  6. What actually determines whether CVE-2026-76216 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.
  7. How do I fix CVE-2026-76216? Upgrade code.vikunja.io/api to 2.5.0 or later.

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