CVE-2026-44166: PocketBase account pre-hijacking via OAuth2 autolinking

CVE-2026-44166 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.6 · Published 2026-05-12

PocketBase is an open-source backend used to power web and mobile applications. A security flaw in its login system allows an attacker to 'pre-hijack' a user's account if they know the victim's email address. By linking their own social login (OAuth2) to a victim's email before the victim signs up, the attacker maintains access to the account even after the real user joins and verifies the account, potentially leading to unauthorized data access and account takeover.

Technologies: github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase (Go). Vendors: Go.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-44166 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-44166 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-44166?
High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.6, published 12 May 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase (Go) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=0.22.42, SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=0.22.42,introduced=0.30.0,fixed=0.37.4; PocketBase < 0.22.42, < 0.37.4, < 0.22.42, >= 0.30.0, < 0.37.4.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44166?
Yes. github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase (Go): upgrade to 0.22.42, 0.37.4 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-44166 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a software library.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-44166?
Check whether you run github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase (Go) or PocketBase 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

  • github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase (Go): upgrade to 0.22.42, 0.37.4 or later
    go get github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase@v0.37.4

Technical details

An authentication bypass vulnerability exists in PocketBase's OAuth2 autolinking logic. When an attacker creates an unverified user account using one OAuth2 provider (e.g., Provider A) with a victim's email address, and the victim later authenticates using a different OAuth2 provider (e.g., Provider B), PocketBase autolinks the accounts and upgrades the user to 'verified' status. However, the application fails to clear the attacker's original OAuth2 link during this transition. This allows the attacker to maintain persistent access to the now-verified victim account. The vulnerability is fixed in versions 0.22.42 and 0.37.4 by ensuring all pre-existing OAuth2 links are deleted during unverified-to-verified upgrades.

Affected products

  • PocketBase PocketBase < 0.22.42, < 0.37.4

Identifiers

  • CVE-2026-44166
  • GHSA-pq7p-mc74-g65w
  • GO-2026-5548

Timeline

  • 2026-04-27: advisory: GitHub Security Advisory published
  • 2026-05-12: disclosed: CVE published to NVD

References

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