Auth bypass in MongoDB
CVE-2026-18696
An issue in MongoDB Server's applyOps command could allow an authenticated user with specific non-default privileges to perform certain data-definition operations, such as dropping or modifying collections, against collections they do not have permission to manipulate. This is due to an inconsistency in how the target collection is determined between the authorization check and the actual operation.
Vulnerability class: Broken Access Control
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 6.5 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.004 (31.7th percentile), scored .
Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 32nd percentile — 31.7% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.003 · newest: 0.004 · change: +0.001
Affected products
- MongoDB — versions 9.0.0, 9.1.0
- MongoDB Server — versions 8.3.0, 8.0, 7.0
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- jira.mongodb.org/browse/SERVER-130139 (Issue Tracking, Vendor Advisory)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-18696?
- CVE-2026-18696 is a medium-severity vulnerability in MongoDB, classified under Incorrect Authorization. CVSS score: 6.5/10. Published 2026-08-11.
- How severe is CVE-2026-18696?
- Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 6.5 out of 10.