# CVE-2026-90940: novel-plus through 5.3.3 Default Cache Management Password in the Front Portal

> Attackers can use a hardcoded default password to trigger unauthorized cache invalidation, causing denial of service via excessive database queries.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.9 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 24 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-hqxh-9xh6-r77j

## What is CVE-2026-90940?

CVE-2026-90940 is a medium-severity vulnerability in 201206030 novel-plus, published on 14 Sep 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

novel-plus through 5.3.3 contains an insecure default cache-management password in the CacheController.refreshCache endpoint that allows anonymous attackers to invalidate portal caches by supplying the hardcoded default value in the URL path. Attackers can trigger unauthorized cache invalidation by accessing the cache/refresh endpoint with the known default password, forcing unnecessary database queries to repopulate the cache.

Weakness: CWE-1392 (Use of Default Credentials)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-90940?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-90940?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-90940 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-90940 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-90940 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-90940 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-90940 is a medium-severity vulnerability in 201206030 novel-plus, published on 14 Sep 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-2026-90940 exists.

Affected product: 201206030 novel-plus. 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-2026-90940/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-90940/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-90940
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-90940
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-90940

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-90940/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.