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Security Alerts

CVE-2023-49105: Authentication Bypass in ownCloud Server

An attacker who knows a victim's username can read, modify or delete any of their files without authentication, provided the victim has no signing key configured...

Summary

ParameterValue
CVE IDCVE-2023-49105
Alert SourceCISA KEV - Active Exploitation
CVE Year2023
Publication Date2026-08-27
VendorownCloud
ProductownCloud Server (owncloud/core)
CVSS Score9.8 (Critical)
EPSS Score11.1% (percentile: 96%)
CISA KEVYes - confirmed active exploitation
RansomwareNot confirmed
Due Date2026-08-30

Vulnerability Description

Source: CISA KEV / NVD

ownCloud Server before 10.13.1 contains an authentication bypass. An attacker who knows a victim’s username can read, modify or delete any of that user’s files — with no login and no credentials.

The cause is that pre-signed URLs are accepted even when the user has no signing key configured. In that state the signature is verified against nothing, so access control rests entirely on knowing the username. Corporate usernames are usually predictable (first.last), which makes that condition trivial to satisfy.

An EPSS score of 11% at the 96th percentile puts this among the most frequently attacked vulnerabilities — one of the rare cases where that metric actually says something.

Required Actions

Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 “Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk” guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements”. Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset’s internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.

In practice: upgrade to ownCloud Server 10.13.1 or later. If an immediate upgrade is not possible, identify which users have no signing key configured — those are the exposed accounts.

CISA’s deadline for US federal agencies: 2026-08-30.

Who Is Affected?

The vulnerability affects ownCloud Server (owncloud/core) installations older than 10.13.1.

ownCloud is typically chosen where data cannot go to a public cloud — local government, healthcare, universities and companies with data-residency requirements. These are self-hosted installations, often without a regular patching cycle, so pre-10.13.1 versions are still encountered in the field.

Sources


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