# CVE-2026-73849: Emlog unauthenticated installation in install.php

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-73849-emlog-unauthenticated-installation-in-install-php  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-08-14. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-73849 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.8 · Published 2026-08-14

Emlog is an open-source website building platform. An attacker can bypass authentication and reinstall the application remotely, allowing them to overwrite the database configuration and create a new administrator account. This grants complete control over the website and its data with no authentication required.

Technologies: [Emlog](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/emlog). Vendors: [Emlog](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/emlog).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-73849 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-73849 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-73849?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.8, published 14 August 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Emlog 2.6.26 and earlier.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-73849?** 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-2026-73849 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a web application.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-73849?** Check whether you run Emlog 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

The vulnerability is a missing authentication check (CWE-306) combined with CSRF vulnerability (CWE-352) in install.php. The vulnerable code deliberately bypasses the already-installed check when action=reinstall is set, allowing unauthenticated POST requests to overwrite config.php with attacker-controlled database credentials and create new admin accounts. The attack requires network access to the install.php endpoint; no authentication, privileges, or user interaction are required. An attacker can achieve complete site takeover by redirecting the application to their own database and creating backdoor admin accounts. No fixed version is available as of the advisory date.

## Affected products

- emlog Emlog 2.6.26 and earlier

## Timeline

- 2026-07-09: disclosed
- 2026-08-14: advisory

## References

- [https://github.com/emlog/emlog/security/advisories/GHSA-v5qq-p8mp-3gxm](https://github.com/emlog/emlog/security/advisories/GHSA-v5qq-p8mp-3gxm)

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