CVE-2026-49869: Kestra Kestra OSS exploited

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.

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.

Description quoted from the CVE record (assigned by GitHub_M, published 2026-06-26).

Weakness: CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command (‘OS Command Injection’); CWE-184: Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs; CWE-287: Improper Authentication; CWE-918: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)

How it can be exploited

Exploitable over the network with low attack complexity needing no privileges and no user interaction. Impact: confidentiality high, integrity high, availability high. CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

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

On CISA KEV since: 2026-09-02
US federal deadline: 2026-09-05
Ransomware use: Not known

Public exploit evidence (Exploit Observer)

Also known as: EUVD-2026-39922

VEDAS cluster: VEDAS:DRAGOONTAIL

Exploit Observer links 7 pieces of public exploit code or detection modules that name this CVE or one of its aliases.

Exploit code and modules (7)

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

Code repository: https://github.com/ap0dexme0/cve-2026-49869
Code repository: https://github.com/eqstlab/cve-2026-49869
Code repository: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ARPSyndicate/vedas-signatures/main/nuclei/2026/CVE-2026-49869.yaml
Code repository: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ARPSyndicate/vedas-signatures/main/nuclei/2026/CVE-2026-49869.yaml
Code repository: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ARPSyndicate/vedas-signatures/main/suricata/2026/CVE-2026-49869.rules
Code repository: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ARPSyndicate/vedas-signatures/main/suricata/2026/CVE-2026-49869.rules
Code repository: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ARPSyndicate/vedas-signatures/main/suricata/2026/CVE-2026-49869.rules

Vulnerability databases and vendor advisories (3)

Catalogue entries, not exploit evidence.

Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/enisa/EUVD-2026-39922
Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-49869
Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-49869

39 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: 0.021
some chance of attack soon
VEDAS: 0.982
strong exploit evidence
On CISA KEV: Yes, since 2026-09-02
Detection rule: Nuclei · Suricata

EPSS (chance of attack)

VEDAS (exploit evidence)

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. The vertical line is the day CISA added it to its exploited list.

Who is affected

Product	Affected	Not affected
kestra-io kestra	version < 1.0.45 version >= 1.1.0, < 1.3.21	Not 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: kestra kestra.

How to fix it

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.

Vendor guidance:

How to detect it

Nuclei template (active check)

Kestra - Authentication Bypass
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.

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

The template sends 1 request (GET /api/v1/configs); it decides using 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-2026-49869.yaml

Show the template (44 lines)

yaml

id: CVE-2026-49869

info:
  name: "Kestra - Authentication Bypass"
  author: vedas-arpsyndicate
  severity: critical
  description: |
    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.
  reference:
    - https://www.exploit.observer/?keyword=CVE-2026-49869&match=exact
    - https://subdomain.center/?engine=ammonites&keyword=kestra&match=exact
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 10.0
    cve-id: CVE-2026-49869
    cwe-id: CWE-287
  metadata:
    verified: false
    max-request: 1
  tags: cve,cve2026,kestra,auth-bypass

http:
  - raw:
      - |
        GET /api/v1/configs HTTP/1.1
        Host: {{Hostname}}
        Accept: application/json
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: word
        part: header
        words:
          - "application/json"
      - type: word
        part: body
        words:
          - "Unauthorized"
          - "Authentication"
        negative: true
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200

CVE-2026-49869.yaml on GitHub

Suricata rules (network detection)

1 rule that alert on traffic matching this exploit: VEDAS CVE-2026-49869 Kestra - 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-2026-49869 Kestra - Authentication Bypass"; flow:established,to_server; http.uri; content:"/api/v1/configs"; nocase; fast_pattern; classtype:web-application-attack; reference:cve,CVE-2026-49869; reference:url,https://www.exploit.observer/?keyword=CVE-2026-49869&match=exact; reference:url,https://subdomain.center/?engine=ammonites&keyword=kestra&match=exact; sid:1011806; rev:1;)

CVE-2026-49869.rules on GitHub

References

Government sources

https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-49869 (government-resource)

Other references

https://github.com/kestra-io/kestra/security/advisories/GHSA-5vc5-wxxq-3fjx (x_refsource_CONFIRM)

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.