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CVE-2026-48188 – Unauthenticated SQL Injection Leading to Authentication Bypass – OTRS 6.0.x / 7….

Summary

CVE-2026-48188 is a critical improper input validation vulnerability in the database layer module of OTRS and ((OTRS)) Community Edition, carrying a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.1. An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this flaw to inject SQL commands through the database layer, directly bypassing authentication and gaining unauthorized access to the system. Exploitation is conditional on the underlying MySQL or MariaDB database being configured with the NO_BACKSLASH_ESCAPES SQL mode.

Technical details

  • Root cause: Improper input validation (CWE-20) in OTRS’s database abstraction layer fails to correctly sanitize user-supplied input when the MySQL/MariaDB NO_BACKSLASH_ESCAPES SQL mode is active, allowing injected SQL to escape its intended query context.
  • Trigger condition: The vulnerability is only exploitable when the backend MySQL or MariaDB server is configured with the NO_BACKSLASH_ESCAPES SQL mode enabled. This mode alters how the database engine handles backslash characters, neutralizing the default escaping mechanism OTRS relies on to sanitize input.
  • Attack vector: Network-accessible, unauthenticated, requires no user interaction. An attacker with network access to the OTRS web interface can send a crafted HTTP request to trigger the injection directly against the login flow.
  • Impact: Successful exploitation results in a complete authentication bypass, granting the attacker full unauthorized access to the OTRS instance. This exposes all support tickets, customer data, internal communications, and other data held within the system. Confidentiality (C:H) and Integrity (I:H) are both fully compromised; Availability is not directly affected.

Affected software

  • OTRS 7.0.x
  • OTRS 8.0.x
  • OTRS 2023.x
  • OTRS 2024.x
  • OTRS 2025.x
  • OTRS 2026.x prior to 2026.4.x
  • ((OTRS)) Community Edition 6.0.x
  • Products derived from ((OTRS)) Community Edition are also very likely affected

Severity

CVSS v3.1 Base Score: 9.1 (Critical)
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

Mitigation and recommended actions

  • Patch (recommended): Update to OTRS 2026.4.1 or later. Note that the vendor has confirmed there will be no backport patch for OTRS 7; organizations running OTRS 7 should upgrade to a supported release.
  • Workaround (if immediate patching is not possible): Reconfigure the MySQL or MariaDB server to disable the NO_BACKSLASH_ESCAPES SQL mode. This eliminates the condition required for exploitation. Verify that removing this mode does not adversely affect other database-dependent application behaviour in your environment before applying.
  • Network mitigation: Restrict network access to the OTRS web interface to trusted IP ranges where operationally feasible, reducing exposure of the login endpoint to untrusted networks while patching is underway.

IONIX Status

The IONIX research team is tracking ongoing exploitation attempts and recommends immediate patching. Potentially affected assets are outlined in this post.

References

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1

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