# CVE-2026-42018: JFrog Artifactory improper authentication vulnerability

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-42018-jfrog-artifactory-improper-authentication-vulnerability  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-08-12. Updated: 2026-09-24  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-42018 · Severity: critical · CVSS 7.5 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2026-08-12

JFrog Artifactory is a widely-used artifact repository platform that manages software binaries and build artifacts for organizations. This vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker to obtain an internal anonymous-user token even when anonymous access is disabled, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive artifacts, build information, and dependencies. This could enable supply chain attacks, intellectual property theft, or deployment of malicious artifacts.

Technologies: [JFrog Artifactory](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/artifactory). Vendors: [JFrog](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/jfrog).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-42018 exploited in the wild?** Yes. CVE-2026-42018 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 11 September 2026. Treat it as urgent.

**How severe is CVE-2026-42018?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 7.5, published 12 August 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** JFrog Artifactory.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-42018?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-42018 attacked?** It is attacked over the network.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-42018?** Check whether you run JFrog Artifactory. 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.

## Technical details

JFrog Artifactory contains an improper authentication vulnerability in its token issuance mechanism. The vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker to request an internal anonymous-user token even when anonymous access is explicitly disabled in the configuration. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of authentication state during token generation. Attackers can exploit this over the network without authentication or user interaction to obtain valid tokens that grant access to the repository. Successful exploitation enables unauthorized access to private artifacts, metadata, and build information. This vulnerability has been observed being actively exploited in the wild. Patches are available from JFrog.

## Affected products

- JFrog Artifactory

## Timeline

- 2026-09-11: disclosed
- exploited: Reported exploited in the wild

## Related threats

- [JFrog Artifactory improper authentication vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-82329-jfrog-artifactory-improper-authentication-vulnerability)
- [JFrog Artifactory authorization bypass in Composer repository handling](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-70550-jfrog-artifactory-authorization-bypass-in-composer-repository)
- [JFrog Artifactory external dependency information disclosure in CocoaPods](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-70548-jfrog-artifactory-external-dependency-information-disclosure-in)
- [JFrog Artifactory SSRF in VCS remote download](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-70551-jfrog-artifactory-ssrf-in-vcs-remote-download)
- [JFrog Artifactory privilege escalation in repository migration](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-69104-jfrog-artifactory-privilege-escalation-in-repository-migration)