CVE-2026-120815: MongoDB Server authorization bypass via localhost exception

CVE-2026-120815 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.4 · Published 2026-11-10

MongoDB Server with authorization enabled contains a flaw in how it manages the localhost exception, a feature that permits unauthenticated local connections during initial setup. An attacker with local host access can bypass authorization checks if the first user is created in the $external database, allowing them to create administrative accounts and gain full control of the database and its data.

Technologies: MongoDB Server. Vendors: MongoDB.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-120815 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-120815 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-120815?
High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.4, published 10 November 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
MongoDB Server before 7.0.48, before 8.0.37, before 8.3.16, before 9.0.7.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-120815?
Yes: fixed in MongoDB Server 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-2026-120815 attacked?
It is attacked with local access, in a hosted service.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-120815?
Check whether you run MongoDB Server 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 Server 7.0.48, 8.0.37, 8.3.16, 9.0.7

Technical details

An incorrect authorization check in AuthorizationSessionImpl::_getDefaultPrivileges fails to close the localhost exception after a user is created in the $external database, unlike the expected behavior when a user is created in the admin database. An unauthenticated local attacker can exploit this to run privileged createUser commands and obtain root access to the server.

Affected products

  • MongoDB Server before 7.0.48, before 8.0.37, before 8.3.16, before 9.0.7

Timeline

  • 2026-11-10: disclosed: CVE-2026-120815 published

References

This page as Markdown. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link back.