CVE-2026-23760: SmarterTools SmarterMail Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel Vulnerability
- Is it exploited?
Yes. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on , 4 days after the CVE record was published.
- How likely is exploitation in the next 30 days?
- 96.4%
EPSS score, percentile 99.9 of all scored records
- How severe?
- 9.3 Critical
CVSS v4.0 base score, given by the CNA
- What should I do?
CISA deadline . Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
- Which versions are affected?
Affected
- before 100.0.9511
Source: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, 2026.10.28, as of ; FIRST Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), v2026.06.15, as of ; CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of . About the data.
What to do
Required action, set by CISA
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
CISA due date for this action: .
Advisories and patches
Linked from CISA's catalog entry
- https://www.smartertools.com/smartermail/release-notes/current
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23760
Affected products and versions
As listed in the CVE record.
| Status | Versions |
|---|---|
| Affected | before 100.0.9511 |
Versions not listed are: unaffected.
Source: CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of . About the data.
About this vulnerability
SmarterTools SmarterMail contains an authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel 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. This could allow an unauthenticated attacker to supply a target administrator username and a new password to reset the account, resulting in full administrative compromise of the SmarterMail instance.
Summary: CISA's KEV catalog, as of .
- CISA added CVE-2026-23760 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 26 Jan 2026.
- CISA marks it as known to be used in ransomware campaigns.
- The due date CISA sets for the required action is 16 Feb 2026.
- The CVE record was published on 22 Jan 2026, 4 days before it was added to KEV.
- The CVE record carries a CVSS v4.0 base score of 9.3 (Critical), given by its CNA.
- FIRST's EPSS model puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 96.4% (percentile 99.9), as of 28 Oct 2026.
- CISA's SSVC assessment in the CVE record: exploitation active, automatable yes, technical impact total.
Source: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, 2026.10.28, as of ; CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of ; FIRST Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), v2026.06.15, as of . About the data.
Description
SmarterTools SmarterMail < Build 9511 Authentication Bypass via Password Reset API
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.
Source: CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of . About the data.
Weakness
- CWE-288: Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel
CWE and CAPEC are maintained by MITRE; the entries are those named in the CVE record and the KEV entry.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| CVE record published | |
| Added to CISA KEV | |
| CISA due date for the required action | |
| CVE record last updated |
References
More exploited SmarterTools vulnerabilities
- CVE-2026-24423: SmarterTools SmarterMail Missing Authentication for Critical Function Vulnerability
- CVE-2025-52691: SmarterTools SmarterMail Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type Vulnerability