# CVE-2026-120804: MongoDB resource leak in SSPI Kerberos authentication handler

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-120804-a-flaw-exists-in-the-server-side-sspi-kerberos-authentication  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-11-10. Updated: 2026-11-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-120804 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.5 · Published 2026-11-10

MongoDB on Windows Enterprise has a flaw in its Kerberos authentication system that fails to release credential handles during the authentication process. An unauthenticated attacker can repeatedly send failed authentication requests to exhaust available system resources, eventually blocking all Kerberos-based authentication and forcing a server restart to recover.

Technologies: [MongoDB](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/mongodb). Vendors: [MongoDB](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/mongodb).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-120804 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-120804 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-120804?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.5, published 10 November 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** MongoDB 7.0 before 7.0.48, 8.0 before 8.0.37, 8.3 before 8.3.16, 9.0 before 9.0.7 (Windows Enterprise builds only).

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-120804?** Yes: fixed in MongoDB 7.0.48, 8.0.37, 8.3.16, 9.0.7. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-120804 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-120804?** Check whether you run MongoDB at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- Fixed in MongoDB 7.0.48, 8.0.37, 8.3.16, 9.0.7

## Technical details

The SSPI Kerberos authentication handler in mongo_sspi.cpp acquires a Windows credential handle via AcquireCredentialsHandle but fails to set the haveCred flag to true, preventing the destructor from calling FreeCredentialsHandle during cleanup. An unauthenticated attacker can trigger repeated saslStart requests with the GSSAPI mechanism (which requires no prior authentication) to deterministically leak one credential handle per attempt, eventually exhausting the per-process Windows handle limit and rendering all Kerberos authentications inoperative.

## Affected products

- MongoDB MongoDB 7.0 before 7.0.48, 8.0 before 8.0.37, 8.3 before 8.3.16, 9.0 before 9.0.7 (Windows Enterprise builds only)

## Timeline

- 2026-11-10: disclosed: CVE-2026-120804 published
- 2026-11-10: patched

## References

- [https://jira.mongodb.org/browse/SERVER-130268](https://jira.mongodb.org/browse/SERVER-130268)

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