# CVE-2026-55170: OpenFGA case sensitivity mismatch in MySQL datastore

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-55170-openfga-case-sensitivity-mismatch-in-mysql-datastore  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-07-09. Updated: 2026-07-09  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-55170 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.1 · Published 2026-07-09

OpenFGA is an authorization engine used by developers to manage user permissions. When configured to use a MySQL database, the system may fail to distinguish between users with similar names that differ only by capitalization (e.g., 'Alice' vs 'alice'). This could lead to a user being incorrectly granted or denied access based on the permissions of a different account.

Technologies: [github.com/openfga/openfga (Go)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/github-com-openfga-openfga), [OpenFGA](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/openfga), [Openfga (Helm-Charts)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/openfga-helm-charts). Vendors: [Go](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/go), [OpenFGA](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/openfga).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-55170 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-55170 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-55170?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.1, published 9 July 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** github.com/openfga/openfga (Go) < 1.18.0, SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=1.18.0; OpenFGA < 1.18.0; Openfga (Helm-Charts) < 0.3.9.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-55170?** Yes. github.com/openfga/openfga (Go): upgrade to 1.18.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-55170 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a hosted service.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-55170?** Check whether you run github.com/openfga/openfga (Go), OpenFGA or Openfga (Helm-Charts) 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/openfga/openfga (Go): upgrade to 1.18.0 or later

  ```sh
  go get github.com/openfga/openfga@v1.18.0
  ```


## Technical details

An issue in OpenFGA's MySQL datastore implementation causes identifier columns (tuple, changelog, and authorization_model) to use case-insensitive comparisons. This occurs because the default MySQL collation treats values like 'user:Alice' and 'user:alice' as equivalent. An attacker with low privileges could potentially exploit this to receive authorization responses intended for a different, case-distinct user identity. The vulnerability is specific to MySQL deployments; Postgres and SQLite backends are unaffected. Version 1.18.0 fixes this by migrating identifier columns to use 'utf8mb4_bin' collation.

## Affected products

- OpenFGA OpenFGA < 1.18.0
- OpenFGA openfga (helm-charts) < 0.3.9

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-55170
- GHSA-cf98-j28v-49v6
- GO-2026-5322

## Timeline

- 2026-06-17: patched: Version 1.18.0 and Helm chart 0.3.9 released
- 2026-06-17: advisory: GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-cf98-j28v-49v6 published
- 2026-07-09: disclosed: CVE-2026-55170 published to NVD

## References

- [https://github.com/openfga/helm-charts/commit/96d5517a2693ff5def451dee7d6b9d1baeb281f8](https://github.com/openfga/helm-charts/commit/96d5517a2693ff5def451dee7d6b9d1baeb281f8)
- [https://github.com/openfga/helm-charts/releases/tag/openfga-0.3.9](https://github.com/openfga/helm-charts/releases/tag/openfga-0.3.9)
- [https://github.com/openfga/openfga/commit/a2e0dbefc3e01a95c785f81a3563bc6571b08b11](https://github.com/openfga/openfga/commit/a2e0dbefc3e01a95c785f81a3563bc6571b08b11)
- [https://github.com/openfga/openfga/releases/tag/v1.18.0](https://github.com/openfga/openfga/releases/tag/v1.18.0)
- [https://github.com/openfga/openfga/security/advisories/GHSA-cf98-j28v-49v6](https://github.com/openfga/openfga/security/advisories/GHSA-cf98-j28v-49v6)

## Related threats

- [OpenFGA ListUsers incorrect authorization in intersection exclusions](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-61709-openfga-listusers-incorrect-authorization-in-intersection)
- [OpenFGA improper authentication via JWT audience skip in OIDC authenticator](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-55689-openfga-improper-authentication-via-jwt-audience-skip-in-oidc)
- [OpenFGA cache key collision in iterator caching](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-48096-openfga-cache-key-collision-in-iterator-caching)
- [OpenFGA has Improper Policy Enforcement](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-41131-openfga-has-improper-policy-enforcement)
- [OpenFGA API key exposure in playground endpoint](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-40293-openfga-api-key-exposure-in-playground-endpoint)