# CVE-2026-27589: Caddy vulnerable to cross-origin config application via local admin API /load (caddy)

> An attacker can trick a victim into visiting a malicious site to remotely reconfigure the Caddy admin API, potentially altering server behavior or enabling code execution.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.9 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 24 Feb 2026
- **Updated:** 27 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-27589, GHSA-879p-475x-rqh2, GO-2026-4537, MINI-q2pr-j2f7-23xc, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-27589

## What is CVE-2026-27589?

CVE-2026-27589 is a medium-severity vulnerability in caddyserver caddy, published on 24 Feb 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Caddy is an extensible server platform that uses TLS by default. Prior to version 2.11.1, the local caddy admin API (default listen `127.0.0.1:2019`) exposes a state-changing `POST /load` endpoint that replaces the entire running configuration. When origin enforcement is not enabled (`enforce_origin` not configured), the admin endpoint accepts cross-origin requests (e.g., from attacker-controlled web content in a victim browser) and applies an attacker-supplied JSON config. This can change the admin listener settings and alter HTTP server behavior without user intent. Version 2.11.1 contains a fix for the issue.

Weakness: CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-27589?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/caddyserver/caddy/v2. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `github.com/caddyserver/caddy/v2` | Go | All versions | 2.11.1 |
| `github.com/caddyserver/caddy/v2` | Go | All versions | 2.11.1 |
| `github.com/caddyserver/caddy/v2` | Go | All versions | 2.11.1 |

Products: Caddyserver Caddy.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-27589?

Upgrade github.com/caddyserver/caddy/v2 to 2.11.1 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-27589 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-27589 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in caddyserver caddy

- [CVE-2018-21246](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-21246/): Caddy vulnerable to Authentication Bypass due to mishandling of TLS client authentication (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-27590](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-27590/): Caddy: Unicode case-folding length expansion causes incorrect split_path index in FastCGI transport (high 8.9)
- [CVE-2026-27586](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-27586/): Caddy's mTLS client authentication silently fails open when CA certificate file is missing or malformed (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-45135](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-45135/): Caddy: Unsafe Unicode Handling in FastCGI splitPos Allows Execution of Non-PHP Files (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2026-52845](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-52845/): Caddy: FastCGI header normalization bypass in `forward_auth copy_headers` (high 8.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-27589 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-27589 is a medium-severity vulnerability in caddyserver caddy, published on 24 Feb 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-27589 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- github.com/caddyserver/caddy/v2 (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 2.11.1
- github.com/caddyserver/caddy/v2 (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 2.11.1
- github.com/caddyserver/caddy/v2 (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 2.11.1

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-27589/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-27589/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-27589
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-27589
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-27589

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-27589/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.