Cyber Resilience

CVE-2026-25227

RCE in Goauthentik Authentik 2021.3.1 – 2025.8.6

Published
12 February 2026
Modified
19 February 2026
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 9.1
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0080 53th percentile
Risk Priority 60 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2026-25227 is a critical-severity Code Injection (CWE-94) vulnerability in Goauthentik Authentik. Its CVSS base score is 9.1 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059); ranked in the top 47% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

CVE-2026-25227 is a code injection vulnerability (CWE-94) affecting the open-source identity provider authentik, specifically versions from 2021.3.1 up to but not including 2025.8.6, 2025.10.4, and 2025.12.4. The issue arises when using delegated permissions, where the test endpoint—intended for previewing property mappings or expression policies—allows arbitrary code execution within the authentik server container. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.1 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating critical severity due to high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts with changed scope.

An authenticated user with either the "Can view * Property Mapping" or "Can view Expression Policy" permission can exploit this vulnerability remotely over the network with low complexity. By interacting with the test endpoint, the attacker executes arbitrary code directly in the authentik server container, potentially leading to full server compromise, data exfiltration, or further lateral movement within the environment.

The authentik security advisory (GHSA-qvxx-mfm6-626f) and release notes recommend upgrading to fixed versions 2025.8.6, 2025.10.4, or 2025.12.4, where the issue is addressed via a commit at https://github.com/goauthentik/authentik/commit/c691afaef164cf73c10a26a944ef2f11dbb1ac80. No workarounds are specified beyond applying the patches.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

authentik is an open-source identity provider. From 2021.3.1 to before 2025.8.6, 2025.10.4, and 2025.12.4, when using delegated permissions, a User that has the permission Can view * Property Mapping or Can view Expression Policy is able to execute arbitrary code…

more

within the authentik server container through the test endpoint, which is intended to preview how a property mapping/policy works. authentik 2025.8.6, 2025.10.4, and 2025.12.4 fix this issue.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter Execution
Adversaries may abuse command and script interpreters to execute commands, scripts, or binaries.
T1059.001 PowerShell Execution
Adversaries may abuse PowerShell commands and scripts for execution.
T1059.002 AppleScript Execution
Adversaries may abuse AppleScript for execution.
T1059.004 Unix Shell Execution
Adversaries may abuse Unix shell commands and scripts for execution.
T1059.005 Visual Basic Execution
Adversaries may abuse Visual Basic (VB) for execution.
T1059.006 Python Execution
Adversaries may abuse Python commands and scripts for execution.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2026-47201Same product: Goauthentik Authentik
CVE-2024-52289Same product: Goauthentik Authentik
CVE-2024-47077Same product: Goauthentik Authentik
CVE-2025-64521Same product: Goauthentik Authentik
CVE-2024-42490Same product: Goauthentik Authentik
CVE-2024-52287Same product: Goauthentik Authentik
CVE-2023-36456Same product: Goauthentik Authentik
CVE-2024-21637Same product: Goauthentik Authentik
CVE-2026-42849Same product: Goauthentik Authentik
CVE-2024-11623Same product: Goauthentik Authentik

Affected Assets

goauthentik
authentik
2021.3.1 — 2025.8.6 · 2025.10.0 — 2025.10.4 · 2025.12.0 — 2025.12.4

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V1.3.1

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

Developer testing and evaluation finds code paths that accept and execute externally influenced strings.

Input validation directly stops untrusted data from being used to construct executable code without neutralization.

Least privilege limits the damage an injected code fragment can perform once executed.

Requiring documented secure development standards and tools enforces use of safe code-generation APIs and escaping.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

PR.PS-06's SDLC practices directly target injection flaws via secure coding and testing (mostly), yet as a single broad outcome it leaves many code-generation specifics unaddressed (partial).

PR.DS-10 none match
prevents

PR.DS-10 protects runtime data confidentiality/integrity but has no bearing on neutralizing externally influenced input during code generation, so neither direction shows any preventive effect.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

prevents

Banning unapproved code samples and unauthenticated web services, combined with secure-coding standards and SAST, prevents the dynamic generation or inclusion of attacker-supplied code.

none

Controls that restrict unauthorized or malicious code from being introduced via external networks or removable media limit opportunities for an attacker to inject and execute arbitrary code.

References