CVE-2026-46488: motionEye authentication bypass via password hash in cookies

CVE-2026-46488 · Severity: critical · CVSS 4 · Published 2026-09-15

motionEye, a popular web interface for managing video surveillance cameras, contains a security flaw that allows attackers to bypass the login screen. By providing a specific user ID and a password hash in the browser's cookies, an attacker can gain full access to the system without knowing the actual password. This could allow unauthorized individuals to view private camera feeds, change system settings, or delete recorded footage.

Technologies: motioneye (PyPI). Vendors: PyPI.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-46488 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-46488 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-46488?
Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 4, published 15 September 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
motioneye (PyPI) < 0.44.0, ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=0.44.0.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-46488?
Yes. motioneye (PyPI): upgrade to 0.44.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-46488 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-46488?
Check whether you run motioneye (PyPI) 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

  • motioneye (PyPI): upgrade to 0.44.0 or later
    pip install "motioneye>=0.44.0"

Technical details

An authentication bypass vulnerability exists in motionEye versions prior to 0.44.0 due to improper trust in client-controlled cookies. The application accepts the `meye_username` and `meye_password_hash` cookies as sufficient proof of identity without verifying them against a server-side session state. An attacker who knows or can obtain a user's password hash (which is stored in a globally readable configuration file on some systems) can manually set these cookies to impersonate any user, including the administrator. This allows for full account takeover and unauthorized access to the camera management interface. The issue is addressed in version 0.44.0.

Affected products

  • motioneye-project motionEye < 0.44.0

Identifiers

  • CVE-2026-46488
  • GHSA-r3cw-c95m-wfh9
  • PYSEC-2026-428

Timeline

  • 2026-06-20: disclosed
  • 2026-06-22: advisory

References

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