CVE-2026-49996 securedrop-proxy origin limitation can be bypassed with redirects
A malicious SecureDrop Server can bypass origin restrictions in the SecureDrop Client via cross-origin redirects, allowing unauthorized access to external resources.
- 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-2026-49996?
CVE-2026-49996 is a low-severity vulnerability in freedomofpress securedrop-client, published on 20 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
SecureDrop Client is a desktop app for journalists to securely communicate with sources and handle submissions on the SecureDrop Workstation. Prior to version 1.3.1, a malicious SecureDrop Server could bypass securedrop-proxy's origin limitation by responding with cross-origin redirects. SecureDrop Server itself has multiple layers of built-in hardening, and is a dedicated physical machine exposed on the internet only via Tor hidden services for the Source and Journalist interfaces, and optionally via remote SSH access over another Tor hidden service. A newsroom's SecureDrop Workstation communicates only with its own dedicated SecureDrop Server. Version 1.3.1 fixes the issue.
Weakness: CWE-601
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-49996?
How do I fix CVE-2026-49996?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-49996 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2026-49996 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-49996 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-6qxc-pcfg-v6qv.