# CVE-2026-45342: Kovah LinkAce IDOR in update policies

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-45342-kovah-linkace-idor-in-update-policies  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-05-28. Updated: 2026-05-28  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-45342 · Severity: info · CVSS 7.1 · Published 2026-05-28

LinkAce is a self-hosted application used to archive and manage website bookmarks. A security flaw allows any registered user to modify or overwrite links, tags, and notes created by other users, including administrators. An attacker could use this to redirect legitimate bookmarks to malicious phishing or malware sites, potentially compromising other users of the system.

Technologies: [Kovah LinkAce](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/linkace). Vendors: [Kovah](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/kovah).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-45342 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-45342 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-45342?** Informational severity, with a CVSS score of 7.1, published 28 May 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Kovah LinkAce <= 2.5.5.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-45342?** A patch was published on 2026-05-28: Fixed in version 2.5.6 Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-45342 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-45342?** Check whether you run Kovah LinkAce 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.

## Technical details

An Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) vulnerability exists in LinkAce's authorization policy layer due to a logic error in the update() methods of LinkPolicy, LinkListPolicy, TagPolicy, and NotePolicy. These methods incorrectly delegate authorization to visibility-check functions (e.g., userCanAccessLink()) which grant access if a resource is public or internal, rather than verifying ownership. An authenticated attacker can exploit this via the web UI or REST API (PATCH requests) to modify any non-private resource. The vulnerability also affects bulk edit operations. The issue is resolved in version 2.5.6 by implementing proper ownership checks ($model->user->is($user)) within the update policies.

## Affected products

- Kovah LinkAce <= 2.5.5

## Timeline

- 2026-05-10: disclosed: Initial disclosure on GitHub
- 2026-05-28: advisory: NVD publication date
- 2026-05-28: patched: Fixed in version 2.5.6

## References

- [https://github.com/Kovah/LinkAce/security/advisories/GHSA-cj8f-h888-m57m](https://github.com/Kovah/LinkAce/security/advisories/GHSA-cj8f-h888-m57m)

## Related threats

- [LinkAce stored cross-site scripting in Bulk Link API](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-49436-linkace-stored-cross-site-scripting-in-bulk-link-api)
- [Kovah LinkAce remote code execution via setup database configuration](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-45344-kovah-linkace-remote-code-execution-via-setup-database)
- [Kovah LinkAce stored XSS in audit log via SSO display name](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-45343-kovah-linkace-stored-xss-in-audit-log-via-sso-display-name)