CVE-2026-96299
HIGH 7.1A security issue was discovered in MongoDB mongos (the sharded cluster router) where an authenticated user with readWrite privileges could crash the mongos process by crafting a specially formed aggregation pipeline. The issue leverages an internal aggregation stage that lacks proper authorization checks despite being intended for internal use, allowing a subsequent stage to be forced to execute on the router under conditions it was not designed to handle. This results in an unhandled fatal error that causes the mongos process to immediately abort, resulting in denial of service for all clients routed through the affected mongos instance.
Severe if exploited (CVSS 7.1), but no known exploitation and low modeled probability. Patch on a normal cadence.
Exploitation likelihood
0.2%chance of exploitation in 30 days · 13th percentile
Impact if exploited
7.1CVSS 4.0 · HIGH
- ConfidentialityNone
- IntegrityNone
- AvailabilityHigh
What an attacker needs
- ✓Access: Reachable over the network — no local access needed
- ⚠Privileges: Requires a low-privilege account
- ✓User interaction: No user interaction needed
- ✓Complexity: No special conditions — reliably repeatable
- ✓Requirements: No special attack requirements
✓ lowers the bar for an attacker · ⚠ raises it
Proof of concept & exploit code
- github-search Search GitHub for public PoC repos
Test against your own equipment
curl -s https://vulnpedia.com/cve/CVE-2026-96299/poc.jsonMachine-readable PoC index for this CVE (for automation).Listed for defensive triage, patch verification, and authorized testing on systems you own. Machine-readable: /cve/CVE-2026-96299/poc.json
Weakness (CWE)
- CWE-617: : Reachable Assertion
CVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
All CVSS metrics
- HIGH 7.1 v4.0 · CNA Primary
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - MEDIUM 6.5 v3.1 · CNA Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - HIGH 7.1 v4.0 · NVD Secondary
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X - MEDIUM 6.5 v3.1 · NVD Secondary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H