CVE-2026-59965 @jhb.software/payload-alt-text-plugin: Alt Text Endpoint Authorization Bypass via Payload Local API `overrideAccess` Omission
An authenticated low-privilege user can bypass access controls to read and modify protected upload documents in Payload CMS via the alt-text plugin.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-59965?
CVE-2026-59965 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in @jhb.software payload-alt-text-plugin, published on 15 Sep 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
Payload Plugins is a collection of plugins designed to enhance Payload CMS. In 0.7.0, @jhb.software/payload-alt-text-plugin exposes POST /api/alt-text-plugin/generate and POST /api/alt-text-plugin/bulk with a default guard that accepts any authenticated user, while alt-text/src/endpoints/generateAltText.ts and alt-text/src/endpoints/bulkGenerateAltTexts.ts call req.payload.findByID and req.payload.update without overrideAccess: false. Payload therefore defaults overrideAccess to true and skips the target collection's read and update access functions. An authenticated low-privilege user can supply id, collection, locale, and update values to read arbitrary protected upload documents and overwrite their alt and keywords fields, even when the collection permits those operations only to administrators. A control Local API call with overrideAccess: false is denied, confirming that the plugin endpoint bypasses otherwise effective collection rules. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.8.0.
Weakness: CWE-863
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-59965?
2 open source packages ship an affected version, including @jhb.software/payload-alt-text-plugin.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
@jhb.software/payload-alt-text-plugin npm | All versions | 0.8.0 |
@jhb.software/payload-alt-text-plugin npm | All versions | 0.8.0 |
How do I fix CVE-2026-59965?
Upgrade @jhb.software/payload-alt-text-plugin to 0.8.0 or later.
Upgrade, and check permissions on every request on the server, not only in the interface. More about Missing authorization.
Is CVE-2026-59965 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-59965 exists.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-4qpv-39hg-f7fx.