# CVE-2026-53497: CrossWatch: Unauthenticated /api/app-auth/status endpoint leaks active session metadata (IP, User-Agent, session IDs)

> Unauthenticated attackers can access an API endpoint to leak sensitive session metadata, including IP addresses and session IDs, from CrossWatch.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 21 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 26 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-rv3j-r4h5-q3cj

## What is CVE-2026-53497?

CVE-2026-53497 is a medium-severity vulnerability in cenodude CrossWatch, published on 21 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

CrossWatch (CW) is a synchronization engine. Prior to version 0.9.21, GET /api/app-auth/status is accessible without authentication and returns the other_sessions array, which exposes metadata of all active sessions — including originating IP addresses, User-Agent strings, internal session IDs, and creation/expiry timestamps. Any unauthenticated network attacker can enumerate this data without credentials. Version 0.9.21 fixes the issue.

Weakness: CWE-359 (Exposure of Private Personal Information to an Unauthorized Actor), CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-53497?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-53497?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-53497 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-53497 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-53497 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-53497 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-53497 is a medium-severity vulnerability in cenodude CrossWatch, published on 21 Aug 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-2026-53497 exists.

Affected product: cenodude CrossWatch. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

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-2026-53497/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53497/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53497
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53497
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-53497

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53497/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.