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CVE-2026-86242 – Unauthenticated RCE via Malicious Plugin Upload – Bifrost HTTP Transport before v2.

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Summary

CVE-2026-86242 is an unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability in the Bifrost HTTP transport (maximhq/Bifrost) affecting all versions prior to 2.0.0. It allows an attacker to register a custom plugin whose path is an HTTP URL via an unauthenticated API endpoint, causing the server to download and load attacker-controlled code. The issue carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (High).

Technical details

  • Root cause: the plugin-registration endpoint accepts a plugin "path" value that is an HTTP URL; the transport downloads the response body, writes it to a temporary shared-object file, and loads it via Go’s dynamic plugin loader, then invokes an initialization routine with attacker-supplied configuration.
  • Trigger conditions: management authentication is disabled, which is the default configuration (governance.auth_config.is_enabled=false); no credentials are required to reach the plugin endpoint.
  • Attack vector: network-reachable, unauthenticated POST request to the plugin management API; no user interaction required.
  • Impact: on dynamically linked builds (the build type required to support custom Go plugins), successful loading of the attacker-supplied shared object results in arbitrary code execution as the Bifrost process user, with full loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. On statically linked builds (e.g., the published Docker image), dynamic loading fails, and the vulnerability instead results in server-side request forgery rather than code execution.

Affected software

  • maximhq Bifrost, HTTP transport, all versions before 2.0.0 (unaffected as of 2.0.0-prerelease3)
  • Impacted platforms: Linux, macOS

Severity

  • CVSS v3.1 Base Score: 8.1 (High)
  • Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Mitigation and recommended actions

  • Immediate: upgrade to Bifrost HTTP transport version 2.0.0 or later (fix released as transports/v2.0.0).
  • If unable to patch immediately: enable management authentication (governance.auth_config.is_enabled=true) so the plugin-registration endpoint requires credentials, and restrict network access to the Bifrost management/API interface to trusted hosts only.

How IONIX identifies potentially affected assets

IONIX matches the following signals against data already collected when it crawled the asset; identifying the technology sends no request beyond that crawl.

  • Raw response body: id="bifrost-shell", a script src containing bifrost-logo.webp, a script src containing bifrost-logo-dark.webp

References

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How IONIX’s External Exposure Management Platform Detects and Validates
Zero-Days to Shrink MTTR

1

Map your entire attack surface (continously)

IONIX uses multi-factor discovery methods, including DNS analysis, certificate mapping, metadata inspection, and more, to automatically map every internet-facing asset across your environment. This includes cloud instances, third-party platforms, shadow IT, and even forgotten infrastructure that traditional tools miss.

2

Monitor for new CVEs

Dozens of threat intel feeds using agentic technology are continuously analyzed to detect the appearance of proof-of-concept code, exploit kits, and indicators of active targeting. IONIX goes further by applying AI to proactively evaluate whether emerging vulnerabilities are likely to be exploited, even before PoCs go public.

3

Identify Potential External Exposures

Not all CVEs matter. IONIX filters vulnerabilities by asking attacker-centric questions: Can it be reached from the internet? Does it require authentication? Is it being exploited in the wild? This dramatically reduces noise and focuses teams on threats that can actually be weaponized.

4

Create Safe, Scalable Exploit Validations

IONIX transforms real-world PoCs into safe, non-intrusive test payloads that can be run in production environments without disruption. These simulations are precisely targeted to the systems that are vulnerable, ensuring rapid validation without unnecessary load.

5

Execute Exploit Validations

By combining context about software stack, versioning, exposure status, and reachability, IONIX ensures that only the right payloads are executed against the right assets, maximizing efficiency and minimizing risk.

6

Drive Fast and Actionable Remediation

Results are routed through integrations with ticketing, SOAR, and SIEM tools. Issues are written in plain language, bundled into remediation clusters, and prioritized based on asset criticality, exploitability, and blast radius. This shortens mean time to remediation (MTTR) and empowers teams to act with confidence.

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  • Mapping of all Assets with this Technology
  • Identification of potentially exposed assets to this CVE
  • Confirmation of verified exploitable assets
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