Progress MarkLogic Server: Improper privilege management in backup and restore
Summary
MarkLogic Server 11.x before 11.3.7 and 12.x before 12.1.0 allow a remote attacker with delegated database-administrator privileges to run backup or restore operations on forests outside the authorized database scope. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to or modification of security-critical data. The attacker must already hold delegated database-admin rights, so this is not an anonymous internet attack.
Affected
- MarkLogic Server 11.0.0 to before 11.3.7
- MarkLogic Server 12.0.0 to before 12.1.0
- Default configuration: unaffected (according to the CNA record)
Fixed in
- MarkLogic Server 11.3.7 (for the 11.x branch)
- MarkLogic Server 12.1.0 (for the 12.x branch)
- Upgrade MarkLogic Content Pump (mlcp) clients to the version matching MarkLogic Server 12.1 or 11.3.7
- Progress Data Cloud: reported as already patched
- Exact fixed-version table: to be confirmed in the vendor bulletin
Workaround
Unknown.
Exploitation
- No confirmed exploitation found in public reporting
- No public proof-of-concept found
- Not listed on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
- CISA SSVC: Exploitation none, Automatable no, Technical Impact total
Our recommendation
- Check whether MarkLogic Server is deployed, including hosted instances, and record the versions
- Upgrade to MarkLogic Server 12.1.0 or 11.3.7 and upgrade mlcp clients to match
- Review who holds delegated database-admin and backup/restore rights and remove unneeded ones
- Audit recent backup and restore activity for unexpected forest operations
- Protect administrator accounts with MFA and least privilege
- Check the vendor bulletin for the final version table and any workaround
- The CVSS score is 9.6 (CNA/NVD); a third-party source rates it lower, so prioritise by exposure and patch the whole October batch
Public exploits
PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.
Research sources
- Progress MarkLogic Critical Security Alert Bulletin October 2026 community.progress.com
- OpenCVE CVE-2026-85956 app.opencve.io
- Cybersecurity News: Progress MarkLogic flaws cybersecuritynews.com
- Security Online: Critical MarkLogic Server vulnerabilities securityonline.info
- TheHackerWire: CVE-2026-85956 www.thehackerwire.com
- Strix: CVE-2026-85956 www.strix.ai
- VulDB 416992 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 30 Oct 2026, 23:05.
Original description (NVD)
Progress MarkLogic Server 12.x releases before 12.1.0 and 11.x releases before 11.3.7 allow a remote attacker with delegated database-administrator privileges to perform backup or restore operations on forests outside the authorized database scope, which could result in unauthorized access to or modification of security-critical data.
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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