MongoDB Server: Missing authorization check in replication admin command
Summary
MongoDB Server branches 7.0, 8.0, 8.3 and 9.0 before the fixed releases may skip an authorization check on the resource that a replication-related administrative command actually targets, because the check depends on a value supplied by the client. An authenticated user with backup and restore privileges can read and relocate collections outside their permitted set and change the collection catalog. The attack requires a valid account with these privileges; the CVSS 4.0 base score is 8.6, while the CNA's CVSS 3.1 score is 6.7.
Affected
- MongoDB Server 9.0.0 to before 9.0.7
- MongoDB Server 8.3.0 to before 8.3.16
- MongoDB Server 8.0.0 to before 8.0.37
- MongoDB Server 7.0.0 to before 7.0.48
- According to the CNA record, the default configuration is unaffected.
- Other branches (for example 6.x and 5.x): Unknown.
Fixed in
- 7.0.48
- 8.0.37
- 8.3.16
- 9.0.7
Workaround
- No vendor workaround is documented.
- Interim measure (our recommendation, not from a vendor source): restrict backup and restore roles to a minimal set of named administrators and service accounts until patching is complete.
Exploitation
- Not known to be exploited at the time of writing.
- No public exploit found in Metasploit or Exploit-DB as of 10 Nov 2026.
- CISA KEV status: Unknown.
Our recommendation
- Inventory MongoDB Server versions and upgrade each branch to the fixed release.
- Review accounts with backup and restore roles and remove those that are not needed.
- Confirm that MongoDB is not reachable from the internet or from untrusted networks.
- Recheck the Jira ticket, NVD and CISA KEV for updates, as the record is new.
Public exploits
PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.
Research sources
- MongoDB Jira SERVER-136182 jira.mongodb.org
- MongoDB Security Alerts www.mongodb.com
- Strix CVE-2026-120822 www.strix.ai
- Threat Intelligence CVE record CVE-2026-120822 cve.threatint.com
- OffSeq Radar CVE-2026-120822 radar.offseq.com
- MongoDB backup and restore tools documentation www.mongodb.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 11 Nov 2026, 01:05.
Original description (NVD)
MongoDB Server may omit an authorization check on the resource that a replication-related administrative command actually targets, because that check is conditioned on a value taken from the client's own request. A user holding backup and restore privileges may therefore read and relocate collections outside the set that user is permitted to access. This may result in unintended access to data and unintended changes to the collection catalog.
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.
Affected? We can help.
We check whether your systems are affected, install updates and close the gap – continuously with the System Health Checker if you wish.