Auth bypass in Px4 Autopilot
CVE-2026-1579
The MAVLink communication protocol does not require cryptographic authentication by default. When MAVLink 2.0 message signing is not enabled, any message -- including SERIAL_CONTROL, which provides interactive shell access -- can be sent by an unauthenticated party with access to the MAVLink interface. PX4 provides MAVLink 2.0 message signing as the cryptographic authentication mechanism for all MAVLink communication. When signing is enabled, unsigned messages are rejected at the protocol level.
Vulnerability class: Broken Authentication
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 9.8 (Critical). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.009 (58.9th percentile), scored .
Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 59th percentile — 58.9% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.009 · newest: 0.009 · change: 0.000
Affected products
- Px4 Autopilot — versions 1.16.0, v1.16.0 SITL
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- docs.px4.io/main/en/mavlink/security_hardening (Product)
- docs.px4.io/main/en/mavlink/message_signing (Product)
- www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-26-090-02 (US Government Resource, Third Party Advisory)
- github.com/cisagov/CSAF/blob/develop/csaf_files/OT/white/2026/icsa-26-090-02.js… (Third Party Advisory)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-1579?
- CVE-2026-1579 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Px4 Autopilot, classified under Missing Authentication for Critical Function. CVSS score: 9.8/10. Published 2026-03-31.
- How severe is CVE-2026-1579?
- Critical severity. CVSS v3 base score is 9.8 out of 10.