nginx-ui: Unauthenticated First-Run Installer Allows Remote Initial Admin Claim
- Published
- Last modified
- Where the record stands: published, rejected by its publisher, or superseded by another id.What do these mean? →
- published
- Whether CISA lists it in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog: proof that attackers are using it.What do these mean? →
- Not listed in CISA KEV
- Fix
- Fixed in 2.3.8
- Whether working attack code is public (Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei or GitHub). Public code makes attacks easier.What do these mean? →
- 1 proof of concept on GitHub, 1 Nuclei template
- Exploitation: poc
- Automatable: no
- Technical impact: total
Summary
Nginx UI is a web user interface for the Nginx web server. From version 2.0.0 to before version 2.3.8, an unauthenticated network attacker can claim the initial administrator account on a fresh nginx-ui instance during the first-run setup window. The public /api/install endpoint is reachable without authentication, and the request-encryption flow only protects payload confidentiality in transit; it does not authenticate who is allowed to perform installation. A remote attacker who reaches the service before the legitimate operator can set the admin email, username, and password, causing permanent initial-instance takeover. This issue has been patched in version 2.3.8.
Timeline
- CVE published
- CISA SSVC assessment
Exploitation: poc · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total
- Record last updated
Affected versions
- 0xJacky nginx-ui
From 2.0.0 · fixed in 2.3.8
- github.com/0xJacky/Nginx-UIGo
From 2.0.0 · fixed in 2.3.8
- github.com/0xJacky/Nginx-UIGo
All versions