Trudesk: Missing authentication on debug routes allows data deletion
Summary
Trudesk through version 1.2.11 exposes debug routes without authentication whenever the NODE_ENV environment variable is unset. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can call /debug/populatedb to delete all groups, tags and tickets. The seeded accounts use the default password 'password', which allows login afterwards.
Affected
- Trudesk through 1.2.11 (polonel/trudesk)
- Exposure applies when NODE_ENV is unset
Fixed in
Unknown. No fixed version has been confirmed.
Workaround
- Do not expose the Trudesk instance directly to the internet; place it behind a VPN or an authenticated reverse proxy.
- Block the /debug paths at the reverse proxy or firewall and verify they are not reachable from outside.
- Set NODE_ENV explicitly to production (not vendor-confirmed; test first).
Exploitation
- CISA SSVC: exploitation status PoC, not automatable.
- No evidence of in-the-wild exploitation found.
- A public technical write-up exists; whether a working proof of concept is public is unknown.
Our recommendation
- Restrict network access to Trudesk now, as no patch is confirmed.
- Check whether groups, tags or tickets were deleted and whether seeded accounts with default passwords exist; rotate or remove them.
- Back up the MongoDB database before any change.
- Check the upstream releases page for a fixed version and plan an upgrade once available.
- Review other Trudesk issues in the same release, such as unauthenticated access to /uploads attachments; restricting exposure covers these too.
- Monitor web server logs for requests to /debug paths.
Public exploits
PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.
Research sources
- CVE-2026-114397 on VulnCheck advisory www.vulncheck.com
- Trudesk app.js at v1.2.11 github.com
- Trudesk routes/index.js at v1.2.11 github.com
- Multiple vulnerabilities in Trudesk 1.2.11 (HackMD write-up) hackmd.io
- Trudesk GitHub repository github.com
- CVE-2026-114397 on HOL hol.org
- CVE-2026-114397 on VulDB vuldb.com
Researched and written up in English and German by an AI (Claude by Anthropic) based on NVD, CISA, EPSS and the sources listed. The vendor information is authoritative. Researched on 1 Nov 2026, 13:23.
Original description (NVD)
Trudesk through 1.2.11 contains a missing authentication vulnerability in debug routes enabled whenever NODE_ENV is unset, letting unauthenticated attackers invoke them remotely. Attackers can call /debug/populatedb to delete all groups, tags and tickets, then log in with seeded accounts using the password 'password'.
NVD references (6)
- https://github.com/polonel/trudesk
- https://github.com/polonel/trudesk/blob/v1.2.11/app.js#L32
- https://github.com/polonel/trudesk/blob/v1.2.11/src/routes/index.js#L398-L433
- https://hackmd.io/@leediay/multiple-vuln-trudesk-1211
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/trudesk-through-1.2.11-missing-authentication-on-debug-routes
- https://hackmd.io/@leediay/multiple-vuln-trudesk-1211
Sources
The tracker combines official, freely usable data sources – updated continuously:
- NVD (NIST) – CVEs, rating (CVSS), affected products
- CISA KEV – vulnerabilities confirmed by CISA as actively exploited
- CISA Vulnrichment – CISA assessment (SSVC) in the official CVE record
- FIRST EPSS – probability of exploitation
- Microsoft MSRC – Patch Tuesday: vulnerabilities, severity, updates
- PoC-in-GitHub – public proof-of-concept repositories
- Metasploit (Rapid7) – modules of the Metasploit Framework
- Exploit-DB (OffSec) – archive of public exploits (links only)
- Patch days: official vendor pages (linked per vendor) (Vendor patch days)
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS data © FIRST.org.
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