# CVE-2026-85956: Improper privilege management in Progress MarkLogic Server backup and restore operations

> Remote attackers with delegated admin privileges can bypass scope restrictions to access or modify security-critical data in unauthorized forests.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.6 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 12 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 14 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-x335-49xj-8xjc

## What is CVE-2026-85956?

CVE-2026-85956 is a critical vulnerability in Progress Software Corporation MarkLogic Server, published on 12 Oct 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Progress MarkLogic Server 12.x releases before 12.1.0 and 11.x releases before 11.3.7 allow a remote attacker with delegated database-administrator privileges to perform backup or restore operations on forests outside the authorized database scope, which could result in unauthorized access to or modification of security-critical data.

Weakness: CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-85956?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-85956?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-85956 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-85956 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-85956 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-85956 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-85956 is a critical vulnerability in Progress Software Corporation MarkLogic Server, published on 12 Oct 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-85956 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Progress Software Corporation MarkLogic Server. 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-2026-85956/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-85956/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-85956
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-85956
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-85956

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-85956/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.