What is CVE-2026-23760?
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.
The record classifies CVE-2026-23760 under weakness class CWE-288. Its CVSS v3 base vector states that the flaw is reachable remotely over the network, needs no prior authentication, needs no user interaction, and has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability. 1 affected-product entry is recorded, across 1 vendor, listed below. The identifier was first published 282 days ago.
Severity and exploitation probability
- CVSS v3.1 base score
- 9.8 — CRITICAL
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS v4.0 base score
- 9.3
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X - EPSS (FIRST)
- 96.5% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 99.8% of all scored CVEs
- CISA KEV
- Listed since 2026-01-26, federal remediation deadline 2026-02-16 — used in known ransomware campaigns
- Threadlinqs priority
- 10/10 — CISA lists it as used in ransomware, which Threadlinqs scores at the maximum
- Published
- 2026-01-22, last modified 2026-08-04
Is CVE-2026-23760 being exploited?
CISA added CVE-2026-23760 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-01-26, which means the agency holds evidence of exploitation in the wild; US federal civilian agencies had to remediate it by 2026-02-16 under BOD 22-01. CISA flags the vulnerability as one used in known ransomware campaigns. Weaponised exploit code for CVE-2026-23760 is publicly available. 3 public proof-of-concept repositories are tracked for this identifier. A ProjectDiscovery Nuclei detection template exists (http/cves/2026/CVE-2026-23760.yaml). It currently carries a trending score of 50 in the Threadlinqs vulnerability feed.
- MaxMnMl/smartermail-CVE-2026-23760-poc (github)
- HORKimhab/CVE-2026-0001 (github)
- trickest/cve (trickest)
Affected products and versions
- Smartertools: Smartermail
How to fix CVE-2026-23760
Because CVE-2026-23760 is KEV-listed, US federal civilian agencies were required to apply the vendor fix, or stop using the product, by 2026-02-16. No vendor patch reference has been recorded for CVE-2026-23760 in the tracked sources. Follow the references below for a fix, and treat the products listed above as exposed until the vendor states otherwise.
Threat activity tracking CVE-2026-23760
2 tracked threats in the Threadlinqs corpus reference CVE-2026-23760, either in the campaign’s CVE list or as an indicator on the campaign record.
- Storm-1175 Medusa Ransomware Zero-Day Exploitation Campaign (CVE-2026-23760, CVE-2025-10035) — CRITICAL · 2026-04-06
- SmarterMail Dual-CVE Pre-Auth RCE Chain — CVE-2026-23760 Admin Password Reset + CVE-2026-24423 ConnectToHub RCE, CISA KEV, Mass Automated Exploitation, 2-Day Patch Weaponization via .NET Decompiler — CRITICAL · 2026-02-05
Sources
Enriched from CVE.org, FIRST EPSS, CISA KEV, public proof-of-concept repositories, ProjectDiscovery Nuclei. Last verified by Threadlinqs on .