CVE-2026-57485 Stirling-PDF: Internal Service Account API Key Disclosure via Pipeline Endpoint
Authenticated users can retrieve internal API keys to impersonate service accounts and access restricted internal endpoints.
- 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-2026-57485?
CVE-2026-57485 is a high-severity vulnerability in Stirling-Tools Stirling-PDF, published on 17 Aug 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
Stirling-PDF is a locally hosted web application that facilitates various operations on PDF files. Prior to 2.9.0, the /api/v1/pipeline/handleData endpoint in app/core/src/main/java/stirling/software/SPDF/controller/api/pipeline/PipelineProcessor.java injects the STIRLING-PDF-BACKEND-API-USER API key into pipeline subrequests, allowing an authenticated ROLE_USER to retrieve the key through /api/v1/user/get-api-key, impersonate the internal service account, bypass normal rate limits, and access internal endpoints including /api/v1/info/requests/all and /api/v1/info/load/all. This issue is fixed in version 2.9.0.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-57485?
How do I fix CVE-2026-57485?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-57485 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2026-57485 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-57485 exists.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-3xxh-mm3g-c9w5.