CVE-2026-74994 inets, httpd: Authentication Bypass via Directory Namespace Collapse in httpd mod_auth
Attackers can bypass authentication in Erlang OTP httpd when using specific backends, gaining unauthorized access to protected directories.
- 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-2026-74994?
CVE-2026-74994 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Erlang OTP, published on 1 Sep 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
The mod_auth module in OTP's inets httpd server, when configured with dets or mnesia authentication backends and multiple directory configuration blocks, collapses all directory blocks into a single shared user/group namespace. A user added to one protected directory is accepted as valid for all other protected directories on the same server instance.
This issue affects OTP from OTP 17.0 before OTP 27.3.4.17, from OTP 28.0 before OTP 28.5.0.6, and from OTP 29.0 before OTP 29.0.6, corresponding to inets from 5.10 before 9.3.2.7, from 9.4 before 9.6.2.3, and from 9.7 before 9.7.2. Whether OTP before OTP 17.0, corresponding to inets before 5.10, is affected is unknown.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-74994?
How do I fix CVE-2026-74994?
Upgrade to a fixed version.
Upgrade, and rotate credentials and sessions that may have been exposed. More about Authentication bypass.
Is CVE-2026-74994 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-74994 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as AZL-98496, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-74994, EEF-CVE-2026-74994, GHSA-c3cq-q8x6-547g, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-74994.