Summary
Nginx UI: Account Takeover via Missing RequireSecureSession on User Management Endpoint
POST /api/users/:id allows any authenticated user to change any other user's password without RequireSecureSession (2FA verification). In contrast, the self password change endpoint POST /api/user/password correctly requires RequireSecureSession. This inconsistency enables any authenticated user to take over the initial admin account (user ID 1) by simply changing its password.
Details
nginx-ui enforces RequireSecureSession middleware on sensitive operations such as self password change (api/user/router.go:55), self profile update (api/user/router.go:54), settings modification (api/settings/router.go:12), and config file deletion/rename (api/config/router.go:16-21).
However, the user management endpoint registered in InitManageUserRouter (api/user/user.go:31-68) is mounted on the g router group (router/routers.go:92) which only applies middleware.AuthRequired() and middleware.Proxy(), no RequireSecureSession().
As a result, POST /api/users/:id with a password field in the JSON body updates the target user's password with only basic JWT authentication. No 2FA or secure session verification is performed, even if the target user has 2FA enabled.
The attack flow:
- Attacker authenticates as any user (e.g., user ID 2).
- Attacker sends
POST /api/users/1with{"password": "attacker-chosen"}. - Admin (user ID 1) password is changed. All existing admin tokens are invalidated (
api/user/user.go:48-49). - Attacker logs in as admin with the new password.
- Admin is locked out.
PoC
Please extract the uploaded compressed file before proceeding
- docker compose up -d
- python3 poc.py
Impact
- Any authenticated user can change any other user's password, including the initial admin (user ID 1).
- Full account takeover of the admin account.
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-84314? CVE-2026-84314 is a high-severity security vulnerability in github.com/0xJacky/Nginx-UI (go), affecting versions < 1.9.10-0.20260703131214-23d1934099b0. It is fixed in 1.9.10-0.20260703131214-23d1934099b0.
- Which versions of github.com/0xJacky/Nginx-UI are affected by CVE-2026-84314? github.com/0xJacky/Nginx-UI (go) versions < 1.9.10-0.20260703131214-23d1934099b0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-84314? Yes. CVE-2026-84314 is fixed in 1.9.10-0.20260703131214-23d1934099b0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-84314 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-84314 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-2026-84314 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-2026-84314? Upgrade
github.com/0xJacky/Nginx-UIto 1.9.10-0.20260703131214-23d1934099b0 or later.