---
title: "CVE-2026-49869: Kestra OSS OS Command Injection Vulnerability"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-49869/
description: "CVE-2026-49869 (Kestra Kestra OSS): Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV). Kestra is an open-source, event-driven orchestration platform. Prior to 1.0.45 and…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2026-06-26
date_modified: 2026-09-03
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2026-49869"
kev: true
cvss: 10
epss: 0.02095
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2026-49869: Kestra OSS OS Command Injection Vulnerability

**Signal:** Exploited: patch now if you run it. CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- Yes, if you run Kestra Kestra OSS. CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-09-02, which means there is reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild. US federal agencies must remediate by 2026-09-05 ; treat that as the outer limit, not the target.
- EPSS 2.1% , percentile 81: FIRST’s model estimates a 2.1% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 81% of all scored CVEs (elevated). 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. Kestra CVE-2026-49869: Exploited Unauthenticated RCE — If you run Kestra OSS below 1.0.45 or 1.3.21 and anyone untrusted can reach its API, assume it is compromised: upgrade, then rotate every secret the workers could see.

## What it is

Kestra is an open-source, event-driven orchestration platform. Prior to 1.0.45 and 1.3.21, AuthenticationFilter in Kestra OSS uses request.getPath().endsWith("/configs") to whitelist the public configuration endpoint from Basic Auth. Because the check is a suffix match rather than an exact path match, any API path whose last segment is configs bypasses authentication entirely. An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this to create and execute arbitrary workflows without credentials. Because Kestra ships with script execution plugins (plugin-script-shell, plugin-script-python, etc.) enabled by default, this directly results in unauthenticated Remote Code Execution as root inside the Kestra worker container. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.0.45 and 1.3.21.

## Affected products (CVE record)

- kestra-io kestra: < 1.0.45, >= 1.1.0, < 1.3.21

## Severity

- GitHub_M CVSS 3.1: 10 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: added 2026-09-02; federal due date 2026-09-05. 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 total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 2.10% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 81.

## Sources

- [Listed in CISA KEV notes (github.com)](https://github.com/kestra-io/kestra/security/advisories/GHSA-5vc5-wxxq-3fjx)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2026-49869](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-49869)
- [NVD entry CVE-2026-49869](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-49869)
- [CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entry](https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-49869)
- [Listed in CISA KEV notes (cisa.gov)](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk)
- [Listed in CISA KEV notes (cisa.gov)](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-implementation-guidance-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk)

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Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-49869/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt