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Part of a story covered by 2 sources: “CISA Adds Actively Exploited JFrog Artifactory, ConnectWise ScreenConnect, GitLab, and MikroTik RouterOS Flaws to KEV Catalog” — merged summary and timeline →

CISA Adds 5 Actively Exploited Artifactory, ScreenConnect, and RouterOS Flaws to KEV

AI summary · glm-5.3

CISA added five actively exploited JFrog Artifactory, ConnectWise ScreenConnect, and MikroTik RouterOS flaws to its KEV catalog.

CISA added five actively exploited vulnerabilities to the KEV catalog: CVE-2026-42016 and CVE-2026-42018 in JFrog Artifactory, CVE-2026-84869 in ConnectWise ScreenConnect (CVSS 9.9), and CVE-2026-67277 and CVE-2026-86060 in MikroTik RouterOS. The Artifactory bugs are chained with CVE-2026-82329 to gain administrative control, deploy malicious Groovy plugins, and install Rust-based backdoors. CERT Polska dubbed the RouterOS chain 'MikroTrick'; FCEB agencies must patch between September 13 and 25, 2026.

  • Five CVEs added to KEV: two Artifactory, one ScreenConnect, two RouterOS
  • Artifactory flaws chained with CVE-2026-82329 for admin takeover and backdoor deployment
  • ScreenConnect CVE-2026-84869 (CVSS 9.9) enables unauthorized file transfer and execution on hosts
  • RouterOS exploit chain tracked as MikroTrick by CERT Polska
  • FCEB patch deadlines: RouterOS Sept 13, ScreenConnect Sept 14, Artifactory Sept 25

Vulnerabilities mentionedAll →

CVEVulnerabilityCVSSEPSSFlagsAffectedExposurePublished
CVE-2026-42016
Token Scope Validation Flaw Enables Privilege Escalation in JFrog Artifactory

JFrog Artifactory (Self-Hosted) versions before 7.133.11 fail to validate a token's scope, checking only the token's signature and issuer, which constitutes an incorrect authorization flaw (CWE-863). A remote, authenticated user with low privileges can obtain or present a token whose scope is never verified, bypassing authorization checks and escalating to higher privileges. Successful attackers gain administrative control of the Artifactory instance; in observed attacks this flaw has been chained with CVE-2026-42018 and CVE-2026-82329 to bypass authentication, take admin control, and deploy backdoor malware. Only self-hosted Artifactory deployments are within the stated affected scope. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild and the vulnerability was added to CISA's KEV catalog on 2026-09-11, although no public proof-of-concept code is known.

Do: Upgrade self-hosted Artifactory to version 7.133.11 or later immediately, in line with vendor instructions and CISA KEV/BOD 26-04 timelines. Audit issued tokens and logs for tokens carrying elevated scope granted to low-privilege users, and look for signs of compromise such as unexpected admin accounts or persistence, given reported backdoor deployments. Also patch CVE-2026-42018 and CVE-2026-82329, which attackers are chaining with this flaw.

8.8<1% KEV
  • JFrog Artifactory (Self-Hosted) All versions before 7.133.11
largetens of thousands of self-hosted instances (subset internet-exposed)
CVE-2026-42018
Improper Authentication in JFrog Artifactory Exposes Internal Anonymous Tokens

JFrog Artifactory contains an improper authentication flaw (CWE-287) in which the server may return its internal anonymous-user token to an unauthenticated caller, even on instances where anonymous access is disabled. An attacker triggers the issue by sending unauthenticated requests to the affected Artifactory interface over the network; the vector requires no privileges or user interaction and is of low complexity. Successful abuse yields the internal anonymous-user token, which can then be used to reach sensitive resources (such as repositories or artifacts) that should be protected when anonymous access is disabled, with high confidentiality impact but no integrity or availability impact. Any organization running an affected JFrog Artifactory deployment - particularly those relying on disabled anonymous access as a control - is affected, though only instances where the vulnerable endpoint is reachable are actually exposed. Exploitation has been reported in the wild as part of an ongoing Artifactory attack campaign alongside CVE-2026-42016 and CVE-2026-82329, although there is no public PoC and the flaw is not yet in the CISA KEV catalog.

Do: Upgrade Artifactory to the fixed release identified in JFrog's security advisory (JFrog is the assigning CNA; exact version numbers are not included in the available data). Until patched, restrict unauthenticated network access to Artifactory, verify the anonymous-access configuration, and review logs for unauthenticated requests that retrieved tokens or accessed sensitive resources. Because in-the-wild exploitation has been reported alongside CVE-2026-42016 and CVE-2026-82329, patch for all three and consider rotating internal/anonymous tokens and auditing artifact access.

7.5<1% KEV
  • JFrog Artifactory
large≈ tens of thousands of deployments (only the subset with anonymous access disabled and a reachable endpoint is affected)
CVE-2026-86060
+1 in the same advisory: …67277
Argument-Injection Flaw in MikroTik RouterOS SSH Login Enables Privilege Escalation

CVE-2026-86060 is an argument-injection flaw (CWE-88) in MikroTik RouterOS's SSH login path: when a login supplies a username beginning with a prohibited character, the RouterOS login helper mishandles the argument, allowing the trusted RouterOS policy mask to be changed and privileges to be escalated. An unauthenticated attacker only needs the ability to reach the router's SSH service, since exploitation happens during the SSH login process itself. By altering the policy mask the attacker gains elevated rights on the device, and news reports indicate attackers have used this technique — including logins with usernames such as '-2' — as part of chains that take over routers without needing a password. Any RouterOS deployment running versions before the fixes (6.49.21 Long-term, 7.23.4 Long-term, 7.24.2 Stable) with SSH enabled or reachable is affected, with internet-exposed SSH at highest risk. Multiple outlets report the RouterOS flaws are being actively exploited in the wild, although no public proof-of-concept is known and the flaw is not yet in CISA KEV.

Do: Upgrade RouterOS to 6.49.21 (Long-term), 7.23.4 (Long-term) or 7.24.2 (Stable) as applicable. Until patched, restrict SSH (TCP 22) to trusted management networks or disable the SSH service if unused, and review authentication logs and user/group policy settings for tampering — reports indicate attackers log in with usernames beginning with '-' (e.g., '-2').

9.2
group max
1% KEV PoC ×2
  • MikroTik RouterOS v6 (Long-term channel) versions prior to 6.49.21 (fixed in 6.49.21)
  • MikroTik RouterOS v7 (Long-term channel) versions prior to 7.23.4 (fixed in 7.23.4)
  • MikroTik RouterOS v7 (Stable channel) versions prior to 7.24.2 (fixed in 7.24.2)
mass≈1M+ devices: hundreds of thousands to over a million RouterOS devices are routinely observed internet-exposed, and far more expose SSH to the LAN
CVE-2026-82329
Improper Authentication in JFrog Artifactory Allows Unauthenticated Admin Access

JFrog Artifactory contains an improper authentication flaw (CWE-287) that, under the product's default configuration, can let an unauthenticated attacker with network access obtain administrative privileges. The weakness is reachable over the network with no privileges or user interaction required, which is why it carries a critical 9.8 CVSS 3.1 score; an attacker who succeeds effectively gains full administrator control of the artifact repository, and public reporting describes attackers using the flaw to mint admin tokens days after disclosure. Any organization running JFrog Artifactory is in scope — CISA's entry lists the product without version detail, so deployments should verify their versions against JFrog's advisory (AV26-867, Update 1) — with internet-exposed instances at greatest risk. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: CISA added the CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog on 2026-09-02, a public proof-of-concept is available, and news headlines report active exploitation alongside related Artifactory flaws CVE-2026-42016 and CVE-2026-42018.

Do: Upgrade Artifactory to a fixed release per JFrog's advisory AV26-867 (Update 1) — the exact affected and fixed versions are not specified in this data, so check the advisory before patching. Until patched, restrict network access to the Artifactory UI and APIs to trusted sources (VPN/firewall allowlists) and review the instance for unauthorized admin tokens or accounts, as in-the-wield attackers have been minting admin tokens. CISA KEV stakeholders must apply mitigations in line with BOD 26-04 within the required timeline or discontinue use of the product.

9.88% KEV PoC ×2
  • jfrog artifactory
largetens of thousands of deployments, many of them internet-exposed (estimate)
CVE-2026-84869
Missing authorization in ScreenConnect client allows unauthorized file execution

CVE-2026-84869 is a critical authorization flaw (CWE-862 missing authorization, CWE-269 improper privilege management) in the ScreenConnect client, the endpoint-side agent of ConnectWise's widely used remote access and remote support platform, in which files can be transferred to a machine and executed during an active remote session without the expected authorization or without confirmation by the Host (technician). It is triggered in certain circumstances during an active session, with a network attack vector, low attack complexity, low privileges required, and no user interaction per the CVSS 3.1 vector. An actor who obtains or already holds access to a session context could thereby push and run files on the managed endpoint, potentially achieving code execution with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact (CVSS 3.1 score 9.9, scope changed). Only endpoints running the ScreenConnect client are affected; ScreenConnect servers are not impacted, and the affected client version ranges are governed by ConnectWise security advisory AV26-903 (not enumerated in the available data). The flaw is not currently known to be exploited: it is not in CISA KEV, no public proof of concept is known, and EPSS assigns a modest 0.4% probability of exploitation within the next 30 days (32nd percentile).

Do: Follow ConnectWise security advisory AV26-903 and update ScreenConnect clients to the patched version it specifies, noting that ScreenConnect servers do not require remediation. Until patching is complete, monitor active remote sessions, require Host confirmation for file transfers, and review recent sessions on high-value endpoints for unexpected transferred or executed files; given no known exploitation and the active-session prerequisite, prioritize endpoints routinely accessed remotely.

9.9<1% KEV
  • ConnectWise ScreenConnect client (endpoint agent)
massplausibly millions of managed endpoints running the ScreenConnect client agent
Full article531 words · extracted from thehackernews.com · click to collapse

Ravie LakshmananSep 12, 2026Vulnerability / Enterprise Security

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has added five security flaws impacting JFrog Artifactory, ConnectWise ScreenConnect, and MikroTik RouterOS to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, following reports of active exploitation in the wild.

Details of the vulnerabilities are as follows -

  • CVE-2026-42016 (CVSS score: 8.1) - An incorrect authorization vulnerability in JFrog Artifactory that could lead to privilege escalation due to a validation check of the token signature/issuer and not the token's scope.
  • CVE-2026-42018 (CVSS score: 7.5) - An improper authentication vulnerability in JFrog Artifactory that could return an internal anonymous-user token to an unauthenticated caller when anonymous access is disabled, potentially leaking sensitive resources.
  • CVE-2026-84869 (CVSS score: 9.9) - An improper privilege management and missing authorization vulnerability in ConnectWise ScreenConnect that could allow an attacker to file transfer and execute through an active remote session without authorization or host confirmation.
  • CVE-2026-67277 (CVSS score: 8.8) - A missing authentication for a critical function vulnerability in MikroTik RouterOS that could allow kernel memory disclosure and denial-of-service in the btest service.
  • CVE-2026-86060 (CVSS score: 9.2) - An improper neutralization of argument delimiters in a command vulnerability in MikroTik RouterOS that could allow an attacker to change the trusted RouterOS policy mask and achieve privilege escalation.

As previously reported by The Hacker News, attackers have been observed chaining the two Artifactory bugs alongside CVE-2026-82329 (CVSS score: 9.8) to take administrator control of self-hosted servers and deploy backdoors between August 15 and September 8, 2026. CVE-2026-82329 was added to CISA's KEV catalog earlier this month.

"Attackers are chaining these vulnerabilities to bypass authentication, escalate privileges, and gain administrative control over vulnerable Artifactory instances," Google-owned Wiz said. "Observed post-exploitation activity includes the creation of persistent administrator accounts, the deployment of malicious Groovy plugins for code execution, and the installation of Rust-based backdoors to establish persistence."

The exploitation of CVE-2026-84869, on the other hand, has been linked to a set of three unrelated incidents documented by Huntress in which threat actors abused ScreenConnect to distribute a malicious Visual Basic Script (VBScript) payload to newly connected systems.

ConnectWise has described the flaw as a "condition" in the ScreenConnect client that "may allow files to be transferred and executed through an active remote session without authorization or Host confirmation in certain circumstances." The issue does not impact ScreenConnect servers.

"Under certain circumstances, this could enable files to be transferred to and executed on the Host client system, including through elevated execution actions," Huntress said in an update, urging organizations to update to ScreenConnect version 26.6.5.

CISA's addition of CVE-2026-67277 and CVE-2026-86060 follows a report from CERT Polska last week in which it said it observed unknown threat actors exploiting two flaws in MikroTik RouterOS to seize control of vulnerable devices without authentication. The cybersecurity agency dubbed the exploit chain MikroTrick.

Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies are required to patch the RouterOS flaws by September 13, 2026, the ScreenConnect flaw by September 14, 2026, and the Artifactory flaws by September 25, 2026.

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Text extracted automatically; images, tables and formatting may be missing. Original: https://thehackernews.com/2026/09/cisa-adds-5-actively-exploited.html