CVE-2026-43638 Bitwarden Server < 2026.4.1 Missing Authorization via Organization Cipher Import
An authenticated attacker can write ciphers to any organization by bypassing permission checks during import.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-43638?
CVE-2026-43638 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in bitwarden server, published on 11 May 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
Bitwarden Server prior to v2026.4.1 contains a missing authorization vulnerability that allows any authenticated user to write ciphers into an arbitrary organization via `POST /ciphers/import-organization` by submitting an empty `collections` array, which causes the server-side permission check to be skipped.
Weakness: CWE-862
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-43638?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Bitwarden Server.
How do I fix CVE-2026-43638?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-43638 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade, and check permissions on every request on the server, not only in the interface. More about Missing authorization.
Is CVE-2026-43638 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-43638 exists.
Other vulnerabilities in bitwarden server
- CVE-2026-60104 Bitwarden Server < 2026.6.0 Authorization Bypass via Admin Auth Request
- CVE-2026-43639 Bitwarden Server < 2026.4.0 Missing Authorization via Provider Clients
- CVE-2026-43640 Bitwarden Server < 2026.4.1 Authentication Bypass via SCIM API Key
- CVE-2020-15879 Server-side request forgery in n/a
- CVE-2019-19766 Weak cryptography in n/a
Sources
Also known as GHSA-vvm4-hc77-cqmc.