CVE-2026-23760SmarterTools SmarterMail < Build 9511 Authentication Bypass via Password Reset API
- 9.3CriticalCVSS base score
- 96.4%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 0.1% of all CVEs
- YesKnown exploitedin CISA's KEV since 26 Jan 2026
- 1Public exploitsMetasploit, Nuclei and Exploit-DB
Description
SmarterTools SmarterMail versions prior to build 9511 contain an authentication bypass vulnerability in the password reset API. The force-reset-password endpoint permits anonymous requests and fails to verify the existing password or a reset token when resetting system administrator accounts. An unauthenticated attacker can supply a target administrator username and a new password to reset the account, resulting in full administrative compromise of the SmarterMail instance. NOTE: SmarterMail system administrator privileges grant the ability to execute operating system commands via built-in management functionality, effectively providing administrative (SYSTEM or root) access on the underlying host.
Exploited in the wild
CISA lists this vulnerability in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog as SmarterTools SmarterMail Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel Vulnerability.
- Added
- 26 Jan 2026
- Fix due (US federal)
- 16 Feb 2026
- Used by ransomware
- Known
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
ENISA's EU Vulnerability Database lists it as exploited, from CISA's KEV, since 26 Jan 2026.
Public exploit
An exploit or proof of concept is public: anyone can try it against an unpatched system. The public collections list a Nuclei template for it. A reference of the record is tagged as an exploit. CISA's SSVC rates its exploitation: it is being exploited.
Show the exploits2
Nuclei templates1 template
- SmarterTools SmarterMail - Admin Password Reset (Nuclei template) (opens in a new tab)
http/cves/2026/CVE-2026-23760.yamlSeverity critical
References tagged exploit1 reference
Modules, templates and exploits as listed by the Metasploit Framework (BSD-3-Clause), ProjectDiscovery's Nuclei templates (MIT) and the Exploit Database (GPLv2), read once a day. Where the data comes from
Timeline
ID reserved
By VulnCheck
- 7 days later
· 7 days later
Published
- 4 days later
· 4 days later
Added to CISA KEV
Known exploited, also by ransomware
- 6 months later
· 6 months later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| VulnCheckCNA (assigner) | 4.0 | Critical9.3 | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N |
| NVDNVD · Analyzed | 4.0 | Critical9.3 | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 96.4% · top 0.1% of all CVEs (14 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: active · Automatable: yes · Technical impact: total
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Critical 9.3.
Affected products
- affected < 100.0.9511
References
References6
- https://www.smartertools.com/smartermail/release-notes/current (opens in a new tab)release-notespatch
- https://labs.watchtowr.com/attackers-with-decompilers-strike-again-smartertools-smartermail-wt-2026-0001-auth-bypass/ (opens in a new tab)technical-descriptionexploit
- https://code-white.com/public-vulnerability-list/#authenticationserviceforceresetpassword-missing-authentication-in-smartermail (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisory
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/smartertools-smartermail-authentication-bypass-via-password-reset-api (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisory
- https://www.huntress.com/blog/smartermail-account-takeover-leading-to-rce (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisory
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-23760 (opens in a new tab)government-resource
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- CISA KEV catalog (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2026-4143 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2026-23760)Record last updated .