{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2026-16895","assignerOrgId":"9974b330-7714-4307-a722-5648477acda7","state":"PUBLISHED","assignerShortName":"rapid7","dateReserved":"2026-07-24T05:29:02.405Z","datePublished":"2026-08-27T03:14:21.055Z","dateUpdated":"2026-08-27T13:09:40.173Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"providerMetadata":{"orgId":"9974b330-7714-4307-a722-5648477acda7","shortName":"rapid7","dateUpdated":"2026-08-27T03:14:21.055Z"},"title":"Authentication Bypass in Metasploit JSON-RPC Service When DB Health Check Fails","problemTypes":[{"descriptions":[{"lang":"en","cweId":"CWE-305","description":"CWE-305 Authentication bypass by primary weakness","type":"CWE"}]}],"impacts":[{"capecId":"CAPEC-115","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"CAPEC-115 Authentication Bypass"}]}],"affected":[{"vendor":"Rapid7","product":"Metasploit-framework","packageName":"JSON-RPC","repo":"https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/cd8cd0a52b519072bde513304c2a351a6f499b30/lib/msf/core/web_services/json_rpc_app.rb","versions":[{"status":"affected","version":"0","lessThan":"6.5.2","versionType":"custom"}],"defaultStatus":"unaffected"}],"descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"A logic vulnerability (fail-open condition) has been identified within the Metasploit Framework's JSON-RPC web service interface. When an exception occurs during the database health check (db.check) and the environment variable MSF_WS_JSON_RPC_API_TOKEN is not explicitly set, the application resets the internal state flag msf.auth_initialized to false. The ApiToken Warden authentication strategy misinterprets this false value as an indicator that authentication is not initialized or required, thereby granting unauthenticated local access to the JSON-RPC request dispatcher.","supportingMedia":[{"type":"text/html","base64":false,"value":"A logic vulnerability (fail-open condition) has been identified within the Metasploit Framework's JSON-RPC web service interface. When an exception occurs during the database health check (<code>db.check</code>) and the environment variable <code>MSF_WS_JSON_RPC_API_TOKEN</code> is not explicitly set, the application resets the internal state flag <code>msf.auth_initialized</code> to <code>false</code>. The <code>ApiToken</code> Warden authentication strategy misinterprets this <code>false</code> value as an indicator that authentication is not initialized or required, thereby granting unauthenticated local access to the JSON-RPC request dispatcher."}]}],"references":[{"url":"https://www.rapid7.com/blog/post/pt-metasploit-wrap-up-lot-of-summer-shells-and-fit-http-profiles/","tags":["vendor-advisory"]},{"url":"https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/pull/21768","tags":["patch"]}],"metrics":[{"format":"CVSS","scenarios":[{"lang":"en","value":"GENERAL"}],"cvssV4_0":{"attackVector":"LOCAL","attackComplexity":"LOW","attackRequirements":"NONE","privilegesRequired":"NONE","userInteraction":"NONE","vulnConfidentialityImpact":"LOW","subConfidentialityImpact":"LOW","vulnIntegrityImpact":"LOW","subIntegrityImpact":"LOW","vulnAvailabilityImpact":"NONE","subAvailabilityImpact":"NONE","exploitMaturity":"NOT_DEFINED","Safety":"NOT_DEFINED","Automatable":"NOT_DEFINED","Recovery":"NOT_DEFINED","valueDensity":"NOT_DEFINED","vulnerabilityResponseEffort":"NOT_DEFINED","providerUrgency":"NOT_DEFINED","version":"4.0","baseSeverity":"MEDIUM","baseScore":5.1,"vectorString":"CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N"}}],"credits":[{"lang":"en","value":"Jaime Cavero","type":"reporter"}],"source":{"discovery":"EXTERNAL"},"x_generator":{"engine":"Vulnogram 1.0.4"}},"adp":[{"metrics":[{"other":{"type":"ssvc","content":{"timestamp":"2026-08-27T13:09:31.706546Z","id":"CVE-2026-16895","options":[{"Exploitation":"none"},{"Automatable":"no"},{"Technical Impact":"partial"}],"role":"CISA Coordinator","version":"2.0.3"}}}],"title":"CISA ADP Vulnrichment","providerMetadata":{"orgId":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0","shortName":"CISA-ADP","dateUpdated":"2026-08-27T13:09:40.173Z"}}]}}