CVE-2026-86218: N-able N-central Static Code Injection Vulnerability
- Is it exploited?
Yes. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 8 Sep 2026, 2 days after the CVE record was published.
- How likely is exploitation in the next 30 days?
- 15.4%
EPSS score, percentile 96.8 of all scored records
- How severe?
- 10.0 Critical
CVSS v4.0 base score, given by the CNA
- What should I do?
CISA deadline 11 Sep 2026. Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions … Full text
- Which versions are affected?
Affected
- before 2026.3.1.14
Source: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, 2026.10.28, as of 28 Oct 2026; FIRST Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), v2026.06.15, as of 28 Oct 2026; CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.
What to do
Required action, set by CISA
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.
CISA due date for this action: 11 September 2026.
Advisories and patches
Linked from CISA's catalog entry
- https://status.n-able.com/2026/09/06/n-central-2026-3-hotfix-4-cve-2026-86218/
- https://me.n-able.com/s/security-advisory/aArVy0000002Ld3KAE/cve202686218-preauthentication-remote-code-execution
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-implementation-guidance-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-86218
Affected products and versions
As listed in the CVE record.
| Status | Versions |
|---|---|
| Affected | before 2026.3.1.14 |
Versions not listed are: unaffected.
Source: CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.
About this vulnerability
N-able N-central contains a static code injection vulnerability that could allow for pre-authentication remote code execution.
Summary: CISA's KEV catalog, as of 28 Oct 2026.
- CISA added CVE-2026-86218 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 8 Sep 2026.
- CISA's ransomware flag for this entry is "Unknown": no evidence of ransomware use in the catalog, which is not proof of none.
- The due date CISA sets for the required action is 11 Sep 2026.
- The CVE record was published on 6 Sep 2026, 2 days before it was added to KEV.
- The CVE record carries a CVSS v4.0 base score of 10.0 (Critical), given by its CNA.
- FIRST's EPSS model puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 15.4% (percentile 96.8), 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 28 Oct 2026; CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026; FIRST Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), v2026.06.15, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.
Description
pre-authentication remote code execution
N-central is vulnerable to a pre-auth remote code execution This issue affects N-central: before 2026.3.1.14.
Source: CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.
Weakness
- CWE-96: Improper neutralization of directives in statically saved code ('static code injection')
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- CAPEC-549: Local Execution of Code
CWE and CAPEC are maintained by MITRE; the entries are those named in the CVE record and the KEV entry.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 6 Sep 2026 | CVE record published |
| 8 Sep 2026 | Added to CISA KEV |
| 9 Sep 2026 | CVE record last updated |
| 11 Sep 2026 | CISA due date for the required action |
More exploited N-able vulnerabilities
- CVE-2026-18556: N-able N-central Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel Vulnerability
- CVE-2026-18577: N-able N-central Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel Vulnerability
- CVE-2025-8875: N-able N-Central Insecure Deserialization Vulnerability
- CVE-2025-8876: N-able N-Central Command Injection Vulnerability