Actively exploited · Published Aug 28, 2026 · Assigned by PaperCut
CVE-2026-81578PaperCut MF/NG: Authentication Bypass
High 8.8 Exploited
In plain English
A high-severity security flaw in PaperCut MF/NG from PaperCut. Attackers are actively exploiting it in the wild (listed by CISA on August 31, 2026). The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 84.7% (higher than 99.7% of all known vulnerabilities). Ready-made attack tooling exists: Metasploit, Nuclei, public proof-of-concept code. 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 guidance
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.
Federal agencies must remediate by Sep 14, 2026.
Official description
An improper access control vulnerability exists in the web management interface of PaperCut MF and PaperCut NG. Under specific conditions, unauthenticated remote requests targeting administrative functions can trigger backend actions prior to the completion of access validation checks. This allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to modify certain system configurations.
Affected products (as reported)
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| PaperCut | PaperCut MF/NG | 0 – before 24.1.1025.0.0 – before 25.0.1326.0.0 – before 26.0.5 |
Weakness: CWE-305 · Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N