CVE-2026-42018: JFrog Artifactory Improper Authentication Vulnerability

Should you act?

Exploited: patch now if you run it

CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.

• Yes, if you run JFrog Artifactory. CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-09-11, which means there is reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild. US federal agencies must remediate by 2026-09-25; treat that as the outer limit, not the target.
• EPSS 9.8%, percentile 96: FIRST’s model estimates a 9.8% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 96% of all scored CVEs (very high). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
• Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
• Editorial verdict: Act now. JFrog Artifactory: Exploited Auth Bypass to Admin (KEV) — If you run self-hosted Artifactory below the fixed builds, treat it as exploited until shown otherwise: upgrade, then hunt for rogue admins, Groovy plugins and stolen signing keys, because patching does not remove them.

What it is

JFrog Artifactory could return an internal anonymous-user token to an unauthenticated caller when anonymous access is disabled, potentially exposing sensitive resources.

CISA’s summary

JFrog Artifactory contains an improper authentication vulnerability that could return an internal anonymous-user token to an unauthenticated caller when anonymous access is disabled, potentially exposing sensitive resources.

Weakness type: CWE-287.

Product: JFrog Artifactory · Assigned by: JFROG · Published: 2026-08-12

Affected and fixed versions

Severity scores

• Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
• Attack complexity: low
• Privileges required: none (no login)
• User interaction: none
• Scope: unchanged

CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.

Exploitation and urgency

• CISA KEV: added 2026-09-11; federal due date 2026-09-25. Known ransomware use: Unknown.
• CISA required action: Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.
• CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active, automatable yes, technical impact partial.
• FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 9.80% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 96.

Timeline

• 2026-08-12 — CVE record published by JFROG
• 2026-08-28 — erroneo.us brief: JFrog Artifactory: Exploited Auth Bypass to Admin (KEV)
• 2026-09-11 — Added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
• 2026-09-25 — CISA remediation deadline for US federal agencies
• 2026-10-01 — CVE record last updated

Sources and references

Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.

Vendor and project advisories, patches

1. docs.jfrog.com docs.jfrog.com
2. docs.jfrog.com docs.jfrog.com

Vulnerability records

1. CVE.org record CVE-2026-42018 cve.org
2. NVD entry CVE-2026-42018 nvd.nist.gov

Government

1. CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entry cisa.gov
2. Listed in CISA KEV notes (cisa.gov) cisa.gov
3. Listed in CISA KEV notes (cisa.gov) cisa.gov

Other references from the CVE record and advisory

1. wiz.io wiz.io

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