Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:NSummary
CVE-2026-34751 is a critical-severity External Control of Assumed-Immutable Web Parameter (CWE-472) vulnerability in Payloadcms Payload. Its CVSS base score is 9.1 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked at the 23th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to IA-12 (Identity Proofing) and IA-5 (Authenticator Management) — 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-2026-34751 is a high-severity vulnerability (CVSS 9.1) affecting Payload, a free and open-source headless content management system, specifically in the @payloadcms/graphql and payload components prior to version 3.79.1. The flaw resides in the password recovery flow, linked to CWE-472 (External Control of Assumed-Immutable Web Parameter) and CWE-640 (Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password). It enables an unauthenticated attacker to hijack the recovery process and execute actions impersonating the legitimate user.
An unauthenticated attacker (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) can exploit this remotely with low complexity and no user interaction required beyond a target user initiating a password reset. By intercepting or manipulating the recovery mechanism, the attacker gains the ability to perform arbitrary actions on behalf of the victim, resulting in high confidentiality (C:H) and integrity (I:H) impacts without availability disruption (A:N).
The issue has been addressed in Payload version 3.79.1 for both @payloadcms/graphql and payload, as detailed in the official GitHub release notes (https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/releases/tag/v3.79.1) and security advisory (https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/security/advisories/GHSA-hp5w-3hxx-vmwf). Security practitioners should upgrade to the patched version immediately and review password recovery implementations for similar weaknesses.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-17991
Vulnerability Data
Payload is a free and open source headless content management system. Prior to version 3.79.1 in @payloadcms/graphql and payload, a vulnerability in the password recovery flow could allow an unauthenticated attacker to perform actions on behalf of a user who…
more
initiates a password reset. This issue has been patched in version 3.79.1 for @payloadcms/graphql and payload.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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V7.4.3
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Identity proofing at appropriate assurance levels ensures forgotten-password recovery cannot succeed without strong verification of the user.
Authenticator management requires secure distribution, reset, and verification procedures that directly address weak password recovery flows.
SI-10 directly requires validation of all inputs, eliminating the assumption that client-supplied parameters remain immutable.
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.
Credential lifecycle management directly includes password reset/recovery flows.
Identity proofing is the core control that prevents weak or bypassed recovery mechanisms.
Secure SDLC practices directly require server-side validation of all inputs instead of trusting client-supplied immutable parameters.
Authentication policy covers strength/MFA but does not address recovery path weaknesses.
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.
Secure coding standards require server-side verification of client-supplied data, eliminating the root cause of external control of immutable parameters.
Security testing in development and acceptance will detect parameter tampering vulnerabilities before deployment.
Strong authentication-information lifecycle rules directly address weak password-recovery flows.
Secure development lifecycle mandates input validation and integrity checks that directly prevent external tampering of assumed-immutable parameters.
Application security requirements explicitly call for validation of all inputs, including hidden fields, mitigating CWE-472.
Secure-authentication requirements include robust forgotten-password procedures.