CVE-2026-23760

SmarterTools SmarterMail Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel Vulnerability

Verified by Precogs Threat Research
Last Updated: Jan 26, 2026
Base Score
9.8CRITICAL

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-23760 is a critical severity vulnerability affecting appsec. It is classified as an undisclosed flaw. This vulnerability is actively being exploited in the wild.

Precogs AI Insight

"The fundamental weakness here is traced back to within SmarterTools SmarterMail, allowing an architectural oversight in input validation. An attacker can craft a specific payload to bypass intended access controls, establishing a persistent foothold. Precogs identifies insecure data flow paths before deployment to flag these architectural defects instantly."

Exploit Probability (EPSS)
High (79.9%)
Public POC
Available
Exploit Probability
High (84%)
Public POC
Actively Exploited
Affected Assets
appsecNVD Database

What is this vulnerability?

CVE-2026-23760 is categorized as a critical Code Injection / RCE flaw. Based on our vulnerability intelligence, this issue occurs when the application fails to securely handle untrusted data boundaries.

SmarterTools SmarterMail contains an authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel vulnerability in the password reset API. The force-reset-pass.

This architectural defect enables adversaries to bypass intended security controls, directly manipulating the application's execution state or data layer. Immediate strategic intervention is required.

Risk Assessment

MetricValue
CVSS Base Score9.8 (CRITICAL)
Vector StringCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
PublishedJanuary 26, 2026
Last ModifiedJanuary 26, 2026
Related CWEsN/A

Impact on Systems

Remote Code Execution: Attackers achieve arbitrary command execution within the context of the application server.

Privilege Escalation: Initial code execution can be exploited to pivot and elevate privileges across the network.

Persistent Backdoors: Attackers can bind reverse shells, modify source files, or inject persistent access mechanisms.

How to fix this issue?

Implement the following strategic mitigations immediately to eliminate the attack surface.

1. Remove Dynamic Evaluation Completely eliminate the use of dynamic evaluation functions (eval(), exec(), system()) on untrusted input.

2. Sandboxing If dynamic execution is an absolute business requirement, isolate the execution environment in tightly constrained, non-networked sandboxes (e.g., restricted WebAssembly or isolated containers).

3. Network Segmentation Restrict outbound traffic from the application server (egress filtering) to prevent reverse shell connections.

Vulnerability Signature

// Vulnerable Node.js Execution
const exec = require('child_process').exec;
const user_domain = req.query.domain;
// VULNERABLE: Injecting user input directly into system shell commands
exec('ping -c 4 ' + user_domain, (error, stdout, stderr) =\> \{
    res.send(stdout);
\});

// EXPLOIT PAYLOAD: precogs.ai ; cat /etc/passwd

References and Sources

Vulnerability Code Signature

Attack Data Flow

StageDetail
SourceUntrusted User Input
VectorInput flows through the application logic without sanitization
SinkExecution or Rendering Sink
ImpactApplication compromise, Logic Bypass, Data Exfiltration

Vulnerable Code Pattern

# ❌ VULNERABLE: Unsanitized Input Flow
def process_request(request):
    user_input = request.GET.get('data')
    # Taint sink: processing untrusted data
    execute_logic(user_input)
    return {"status": "success"}

Secure Code Pattern

# ✅ SECURE: Input Validation & Sanitization
def process_request(request):
    user_input = request.GET.get('data')
    
    # Sanitized boundary check
    if not is_valid_format(user_input):
        raise ValueError("Invalid input format")
        
    sanitized_data = sanitize(user_input)
    execute_logic(sanitized_data)
    return {"status": "success"}

How Precogs Detects This

Precogs AI Analysis Engine maps untrusted input directly to execution sinks to catch complex application security vulnerabilities.\n

Is your system affected?

Precogs AI detects CVE-2026-23760 in compiled binaries, LLMs, and application layers — even without source code access.