CVE-2026-45342 LinkAce: IDOR in Update Policies Allows Any Authenticated User to Overwrite Other Users' Links, Lists, Tags, and Notes
Authenticated users can modify other users' links, lists, tags, and notes due to flawed authorization checks in LinkAce.
- 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-2026-45342?
CVE-2026-45342 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Kovah LinkAce, published on 28 May 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
LinkAce is a self-hosted archive to collect website links. Prior to 2.5.6, LinkAce contains an Insecure Direct Object Reference vulnerability in the authorization policy layer that allows any authenticated user to modify resources owned by other users. The affected resource types are links, lists, tags, and notes. Both the web UI and the REST API are vulnerable. The root cause is in the update() methods of all four model policies: LinkPolicy, LinkListPolicy, TagPolicy, and NotePolicy. Each delegates to an access-check method (e.g., userCanAccessLink()) that returns true for any resource with non-private visibility, regardless of who owns it. This means any registered user can edit any public or internal resource across the entire instance. The delete() methods in the same policy files correctly require ownership via $link->user->is($user), which confirms that update was intended to be owner-only. The same flaw exists in the API layer through AuthorizesUserApiActions::userCanUpdateModel(), which mirrors the broken visibility-only check instead of the ownership check used by userCanDeleteModel(). Bulk edit operations via BulkEditController are also affected. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.5.6.
Weakness: CWE-639
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-45342?
How do I fix CVE-2026-45342?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-45342 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-2026-45342 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-45342 exists.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-cj8f-h888-m57m.