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SimpleHelp OpenID Connect Auth Bypass to RCE [CVE-2026-48558]

Metasploit adds a module chaining SimpleHelp OpenID Connect authentication bypass to remote code execution, tracked as CVE-2026-48558.

A commit to the Rapid7 Metasploit Framework (dee04cdb) adds an exploit module for CVE-2026-48558, an OpenID Connect authentication bypass in SimpleHelp that can be escalated to remote code execution. SimpleHelp is widely deployed remote access and remote support software, making the auth bypass a serious exposure for exposed deployments. The commit provides public exploit code but the listing does not state observed exploitation.

Attackers plant remote access tools on compromised PaperCut servers

Attackers chained two PaperCut NG/MF zero-days for unauthenticated access, installing SimpleHelp and AnyDesk remote access tools on compromised servers.

An ongoing campaign exploits chained zero-days CVE-2026-81578 (improper access control) and CVE-2026-82078 (unsafe dynamic class loading) in internet-facing PaperCut NG and MF Application Servers, enabling authentication bypass and arbitrary Java bytecode execution. Post-compromise activity includes user and domain enumeration, payload download from sendit.sh, and silent installation of SimpleHelp and AnyDesk for redundant remote access; Defused observed CVE-2026-81578/CVE-2026-82078 exploit activity in honeypots since August 29, including data theft via Derby database dumps. Emergency patches were released August 28 and August 30, but 47% of roughly 2,500 PaperCut installs tracked by Huntress run v23 or older, for which no patch is available.

Help Net Security · 14d agoExploit / PoC in the wildCVE-2026-81578CVE-2026-820781

Attackers Chain Two PaperCut Flaws to Execute Code Without Authentication

Attackers chain PaperCut NG/MF flaws CVE-2026-81578 and CVE-2026-82078 for unauthenticated RCE; exploitation observed and a second emergency patch issued.

Two flaws in PaperCut NG and MF — CVE-2026-81578 (CVSS 8.8, improper access control enabling auth bypass) and CVE-2026-82078 (CVSS 9.4, unsafe dynamic class loading) — are being chained for unauthenticated remote code execution. Huntress observed limited exploitation on two customer environments, including Base64-encoded commands, 'whoami & ver' fingerprinting, SimpleHelp execution, and AnyDesk installation for persistence. PaperCut released a second emergency patch for v24, v25, and v26, but watchTowr reports additional patch bypasses may still affect the latest version. Shared IoCs include crafted jdbc strings in server.log and attacker-written .class/.cmd files.

The Hacker News · 14d agoExploit / PoC in the wildCVE-2026-82078CVE-2026-815781

N-able ships second N-central hotfix as attackers keep exploiting CVE-2026-18577

N-able shipped a second N-central hotfix as attackers actively exploit authentication bypass CVE-2026-18577, attributed to ransomware group Storm-1175.

N-able released Hotfix 2 (N-central 2026.3.1.10) to counter ongoing exploitation of CVE-2026-18577, an authentication bypass that evades the patch for the earlier CVE-2026-18556; exploitation was first detected on August 1, 2026. Post-exploitation includes using the Take Control feature to reach managed endpoints, registering a Cloudflare tunnel service for persistence, creating a 'veeam' domain account, resetting admin passwords, and disabling Microsoft and Sophos security tooling. Microsoft analysts link the activity to Storm-1175, which now deploys a new StormEncryptor ransomware strain instead of Medusa, often reaching data exfiltration and ransomware within days. Sophos and Huntress expanded the IOCs and warned that partners who patched late should treat environments as potentially compromised.

Help Net Security · Aug 12, 2026Exploit / PoC in the wildCVE-2026-18577CVE-2026-185561