CVE-2026-23838 Tandoor Recipes module allows SQLite database to be externally accessible with the default settings
Default NixOS configuration exposes the SQLite database file via HTTP, allowing attackers to read recipe data without authentication.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-23838?
CVE-2026-23838 is a high-severity vulnerability in NixOS nixpkgs, published on 19 Jan 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
Tandoor Recipes is a recipe manager than can be installed with the Nix package manager. Starting in version 23.05 and prior to version 26.05, when using the default configuration of Tandoor Recipes, specifically using SQLite and default `MEDIA_ROOT`, the full database file may be externally accessible, potentially on the Internet. The root cause is that the NixOS module configures the working directory of Tandoor Recipes, as well as the value of `MEDIA_ROOT`, to be `/var/lib/tandoor-recipes`. This causes Tandoor Recipes to create its `db.sqlite3` database file in the same directory as `MEDIA_ROOT` causing it to be accessible without authentication through HTTP like any other media file. This is the case when using `GUNICORN_MEDIA=1` or when using a web server like nginx to serve media files. NixOS 26.05 changes the default value of `MEDIA_ROOT` to a sub folder of the data directory. This only applies to configurations with `system.stateVersion` >= 26.05. For older configurations, one of the workarounds should be applied instead. NixOS 25.11 has received a backport of this patch, though it doesn't fix this vulnerability without user intervention. A recommended workaround is to move `MEDIA_ROOT` into a subdirectory. Non-recommended workarounds include switching to PostgreSQL or disallowing access to `db.sqlite3`.
Weakness: CWE-538
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-23838?
How do I fix CVE-2026-23838?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-23838 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2026-23838 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-23838 exists.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-g8w3-p77x-mmxh.