CVE-2026-73249calibre Content Server `/book-update-annotations` Missing Write Authorization Check Allows Unauthorized Annotation Modification
- 7.5HighCVSS base score
- 0.44%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 62% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- YesPublic exploitsa reference or SSVC says so
Description
calibre is an e-book manager. Prior to 9.12.0, the calibre Content Server endpoint POST /book-update-annotations/{library_id}/{book_id}/{fmt} in src/calibre/srv/books.py omits needs_db_write=True, causing Router.dispatch() to skip ctx.check_for_write_access() before update_annotations() passes attacker-controlled JSON to db.merge_annotations_for_book(), which allows a readonly user or an anonymous user on an unauthenticated deployment to persist unauthorized book annotation changes. This issue is fixed in version 9.12.0.
Public exploit
An exploit or proof of concept is public: anyone can try it against an unpatched system. A reference of the record is tagged as an exploit. CISA's SSVC rates its exploitation: a proof of concept is public.
Show the exploits1
References tagged exploit1 reference
- https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibre/security/advisories/GHSA-5x64-w63v-x2g6 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMexploit
Timeline
ID reserved
By GitHub_M
Published
- 1 day later
· 1 day 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_MCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | High7.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N |
| NVDNVD · Deferred | 3.1 | High7.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.44% · top 62% of all CVEs (12 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: poc · Automatable: yes · Technical impact: partial
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.5.
Affected products
- affected < 9.12.0
References
References3
- https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibre/security/advisories/GHSA-5x64-w63v-x2g6 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMexploit
- https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibre/commit/71295e8b62801e1ccecaa4fac47e6942f11cfe1e (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibre/releases/tag/v9.12.0 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISC
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)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2026-57015 (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-2026-73249)Record last updated .