CVE-2026-86218: N-able N-central Static Code Injection Vulnerability

Q: How do I fix CVE-2026-86218?

n-central: upgrade to 2026.3. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2026-86218 being exploited?

Yes. CVE-2026-86218 is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list, so treat it as patch-now.

Q: What does CVE-2026-86218 affect?

CVE-2026-86218 affects n-central. Severity is critical (CVSS 9.8). N-central is vulnerable to a pre-auth remote code execution This issue affects N-central: before 2026.3.1.14.

Q: How urgent is CVE-2026-86218?

Priority 96/100. Critical severity; EPSS top 4%: very likely to be exploited; Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV); Public exploit reference; CISA SSVC: automatable with total technical impact; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

Patch now

CRITICAL 9.8EXPLOITEDREMOTEUPGRADE

CVE-2026-86218 is a critical-severity flaw (CVSS 9.8) affecting n-central, reported as exploited in the wild. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

N-central is vulnerable to a pre-auth remote code execution This issue affects N-central: before 2026.3.1.14.

Why this priority

Critical severity
EPSS top 4%: very likely to be exploited
Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV)
Public exploit reference
CISA SSVC: automatable with total technical impact
Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	9.8 (Critical)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	13.3% (top 4%)
CISA exploited list	Yes, fix due 2026-09-11
Weakness	CWE-96
Published	2026-09-06
Last modified	2026-09-09

Publisher (CNA): N-able · Vendor: n-able

Last updated 2026-09-09 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2026-09-06 03:17 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-09-08Exploited Added to the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list
2026-09-09 05:18 UTCUpdated Record last modified
2026-09-11Deadline CISA due date for US federal agencies to patch

n-able n-central UPGRADE

Affected: < 2026.3 · 2026.3 · 2026.3 hotfix1 · 2026.3 hotfix2 · 2026.3 hotfix3

Fixed in: 2026.3

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy n-central || rpm -q n-central || n-central --version

2. UPGRADE to 2026.3 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade n-central

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade n-central

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

Exact fixes by distribution

Fedora 46 · uv · FIXED · 0.13.5-1.fc46 · FEDORA-2026-61ea5a28c6 · source

sudo dnf upgrade --advisory=FEDORA-2026-61ea5a28c6

Public exploits and detection

Public code exists for this CVE. Treat unpatched systems as at risk, and only run PoCs in a lab.

GitHub PoC: HORKimhab/CVE-2026-86218 (0 stars)
GitHub PoC: Udyz/CVE-2026-86218 (0 stars)
GitHub PoC: super-meuw/CVE-2026-86218 (0 stars)
Metasploit: N-able N-central Struts BeanUtils Unauthenticated RCE
Nuclei scan template: N-able N-central <2026.3.1.14 - Pre-Authentication Remote Code Execution

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · CISA KEV catalog · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2026-86218?

n-central: upgrade to 2026.3. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2026-86218 being exploited?

Yes. CVE-2026-86218 is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list, so treat it as patch-now.

What does CVE-2026-86218 affect?

CVE-2026-86218 affects n-central. Severity is critical (CVSS 9.8). N-central is vulnerable to a pre-auth remote code execution This issue affects N-central: before 2026.3.1.14.

How urgent is CVE-2026-86218?

Priority 96/100. Critical severity; EPSS top 4%: very likely to be exploited; Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV); Public exploit reference; CISA SSVC: automatable with total technical impact; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

Related CVEs

CVE-2026-18577 HIGH 8.1 EXPLOITED UPGRADE N-able N-central Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel Vulnerability
CVE-2026-18556 HIGH 7.4 EXPLOITED UPGRADE N-able N-central Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel Vulnerability
CVE-2025-11700 HIGH 7.5 UPGRADE N-central versions < 2025.4 are vulnerable to multiple XML External Entities injection leading to information
CVE-2025-11367 CRITICAL 9.8 UPGRADE The N-central Software Probe < 2025.4 is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution via deserialization
CVE-2025-11366 CRITICAL 9.8 UPGRADE N-central < 2025.4 is vulnerable to authentication bypass via path traversal

References

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