CVE-2026-40905 LinkAce: Password Reset Poisoning via X-Forwarded-Host Header Injection Leading to Account Takeover
Attackers can hijack password reset links via X-Forwarded-Host injection to steal tokens and take over user accounts.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- A user has to click or open something
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-40905?
CVE-2026-40905 is a high-severity vulnerability in Kovah LinkAce, published on 21 Apr 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Official description
LinkAce is a self-hosted archive to collect website links. Prior to 2.5.4, a password reset poisoning vulnerability was identified in the application due to improper trust of user-controlled HTTP headers. The application uses the X-Forwarded-Host header when generating password reset URLs. By manipulating this header during a password reset request, an attacker can inject an attacker-controlled domain into the reset link sent via email. As a result, the victim receives a password reset email containing a malicious link pointing to an attacker-controlled domain. When the victim clicks the link, the password reset token is transmitted to the attacker-controlled server. An attacker can capture this token and use it to reset the victim’s password, leading to full account takeover. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.5.4.
Weakness: CWE-601
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-40905?
How do I fix CVE-2026-40905?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-40905 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2026-40905 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-40905 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-48wv-jpf4-vjfv.