Auth bypass in Zitadel

CVE-2026-85056

ZITADEL is an open source identity management platform. From 4.0.0 until 4.16.1, ZITADEL Login V2 creates a browser session after password verification and can reuse that session for a later authentication request without verifying a user's enrolled TOTP, OTP, or U2F second factor. When the MFA step is abandoned and login starts again, session-validity checks require MFA only when the organization enables Force MFA or Force MFA for local users only, so a voluntarily enrolled factor can be skipped while completing an OIDC or SAML callback for a customer application. Login V1, the ZITADEL Console, Management and Admin APIs, and user self-management are not affected. This issue is fixed in version 4.16.1.

Vulnerability class: Broken Authentication

Published · last modified .

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 8.2 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N.

EPSS exploit prediction

No EPSS score from FIRST.org yet. New CVEs usually get one within a few days; no score means no signal yet, not low risk. How EPSS works.

Affected products

  • Zitadel — versions >= 4.0.0, < 4.16.1

Weakness classification (CWE)

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-85056?
CVE-2026-85056 is a high-severity vulnerability in Zitadel, classified under Improper Authentication. CVSS score: 8.2/10. Published 2026-09-24.
How severe is CVE-2026-85056?
High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 8.2 out of 10.