CVE-2026-86218: N-able N-central Static Code Injection Vulnerability
Advisory generated from the CVE record, CISA, Exploit Observer and VEDAS: what it is, whether it is exploited, who is affected, and how to fix and detect it.
Generated by VEDAS. Scores as of 2026-11-01 19:19 UTC. Rebuilt every few hours from cve-scores, CISA KEV and vedas-signatures. How this works and its limits.
What it is
N-central is vulnerable to a pre-auth remote code execution This issue affects N-central: before 2026.3.1.14.
Description quoted from the CVE record (assigned by N-able, published 2026-09-06).
Weakness: CWE-96 Improper neutralization of directives in statically saved code (‘static code injection’)
How it can be exploited
Exploitable over the network with low attack complexity with no special attack requirements needing no privileges and no user interaction. Impact: confidentiality high, integrity high, availability high. CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H
CISA assessment (SSVC): CISA assesses exploitation as active. Automatable: yes. Technical impact: total.
- On CISA KEV since
- 2026-09-08
- US federal deadline
- 2026-09-11
- Ransomware use
- Not known
Public exploit evidence (Exploit Observer)
Also known as: BDU:2026-17859, EUVD-2026-72041, GHSA-5f24-g9g9-m3v8
VEDAS cluster: VEDAS:FREYASTEAR
Exploit Observer links 10 pieces of public exploit code or detection modules that name this CVE or one of its aliases.
Exploit code and modules (10)
Code that names this CVE. A repository can be a working exploit, a scanner, a fake or malware; read it before running anything.
- Metasploit module: https://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/linux/http/nable_ncentral_unauth_rce_cve_2026_86218/
- Nuclei template: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/main/http/cves/2026/CVE-2026-86218.yaml
- Code repository: https://github.com/jithinkrishnanrs/cve-2026-86218-n-central-ioc-toolkit
- Code repository: https://github.com/super-meuw/cve-2026-86218
- Code repository: https://github.com/udyz/cve-2026-86218
- Code repository: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ARPSyndicate/vedas-signatures/main/nuclei/2026/CVE-2026-86218.yaml
- Code repository: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ARPSyndicate/vedas-signatures/main/nuclei/2026/CVE-2026-86218.yaml
- Code repository: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ARPSyndicate/vedas-signatures/main/suricata/2026/CVE-2026-86218.rules
- Code repository: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ARPSyndicate/vedas-signatures/main/suricata/2026/CVE-2026-86218.rules
- Code repository: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ARPSyndicate/vedas-signatures/main/suricata/2026/CVE-2026-86218.rules
Research and write-ups (2)
- Research or write-up: https://horizon3.ai/attack-research/vulnerabilities/cve-2026-86218
- Research or write-up: https://status.n-able.com/2026/09/06/n-central-2026-3-hotfix-4-cve-2026-86218
Vulnerability databases and vendor advisories (5)
Catalogue entries, not exploit evidence.
- Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/enisa/EUVD-2026-72041
- Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-5f24-g9g9-m3v8
- Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://me.n-able.com/s/security-advisory/aArVy0000002Ld3KAE/cve202686218-preauthentication-remote-code-execution
- Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-86218
- Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-86218
News (3)
- News: https://deafnews.it/en/news/cybersecurity/n-able-patches-cve-2026-86218-pre-auth-rce-with-cvss-100-and-contradictory-messaging
- News: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/09/07/n-able-n-central-hotfix-cve-2026-86218
- News: https://www.technadu.com/n-able-patches-max-severity-n-central-rce-flaw-cve-2026-86218-nearly-1500-n-central-servers-exposed/635622
12 more references returned by Exploit Observer did not name this CVE or an alias, so they are left out.
VEDAS data as of 2026-11-01T17:12 UTC; fetched 2026-11-02.
Live scores
- EPSS
- 0.154
likely to be attacked soon - VEDAS
- 0.987
strong exploit evidence - On CISA KEV
- Yes, since 2026-09-08
Thin horizontal line: the “likely” (EPSS 0.10) or “strong” (VEDAS 0.90) threshold. Shaded “no data” areas are periods when cve-scores did not publish.
Who is affected
| Product | Affected | Not affected |
|---|---|---|
| N-able N-central | before 2026.3.1.14 | Not stated |
Version ranges exactly as the CVE record states them. “Before X” means X is the first fixed version.
Exploit Observer also maps it to: n-able n-central, n‑able_solutions_ulc_and_n‑able_technologies_ltd. n-central.
How to fix it
Fixed versions stated in the CVE record: 2026.3.1.14.
CISA required action: Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). 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.
Vendor guidance:
- https://me.n-able.com/s/security-advisory/aArVy0000002Ld3KAE/cve202686218-preauthentication-remote-code-execution (vendor-advisory)
How to detect it
Nuclei template (active check)
Nable - Remote Code Execution
N-central is vulnerable to a pre-auth remote code execution This issue affects N-central: before 2026.3.1.14.
Name and description quoted from the template, written by VEDAS.
The template sends 1 request (GET /login); it decides using dsl, regex matchers. Severity in the template: critical. Marked as not yet verified against a live vulnerable target.
Run it against a host you own or are authorised to test:
nuclei -u https://your-host -t CVE-2026-86218.yamlShow the template (56 lines)
id: CVE-2026-86218
info:
name: "Nable - Remote Code Execution"
author: vedas-arpsyndicate
severity: critical
description: |
N-central is vulnerable to a pre-auth remote code execution This issue affects N-central: before 2026.3.1.14.
reference:
- https://www.exploit.observer/?keyword=CVE-2026-86218&match=exact
- https://subdomain.center/?engine=ammonites&keyword=nable&match=exact
classification:
cvss-metrics: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H
cvss-score: 10.0
cve-id: CVE-2026-86218
cwe-id: CWE-96
metadata:
verified: false
tags: cve,cve2026,n-able,n-central,rce,unauth,static-code-injection,kev,vkev,passive,nable
http:
- raw:
- |
GET /login HTTP/1.1
Host: {{Hostname}}
matchers-condition: and
matchers:
- type: dsl
dsl:
- 'contains(body, "ncentralVersion:")'
- 'contains(body, "N-able N-central")'
condition: and
- type: dsl
dsl:
- 'compare_versions(nc_version, "< 2026.3.1.14")'
- type: dsl
dsl:
- 'status_code == 200'
extractors:
- type: regex
name: nc_version
part: body
internal: true
group: 1
regex:
- 'ncentralVersion:\s*"([0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+)"'
- type: regex
name: detected_version
part: body
group: 1
regex:
- 'ncentralVersion:\s*"([0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+)"'
Suricata rules (network detection)
1 rule that alert on traffic matching this exploit: VEDAS CVE-2026-86218 Nable - Remote Code Execution. Add them to your Suricata rule set and reload.
Show the rules
alert http $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HTTP_SERVERS $HTTP_PORTS (msg:"VEDAS CVE-2026-86218 Nable - Remote Code Execution"; flow:established,to_server; http.uri; content:"login"; nocase; fast_pattern; classtype:web-application-attack; reference:cve,CVE-2026-86218; reference:url,https://www.exploit.observer/?keyword=CVE-2026-86218&match=exact; reference:url,https://subdomain.center/?engine=ammonites&keyword=nable&match=exact; sid:1010234; rev:1;)
CVE-2026-86218.rules on GitHub
References
Vendor advisories and patches
- https://me.n-able.com/s/security-advisory/aArVy0000002Ld3KAE/cve202686218-preauthentication-remote-code-execution (vendor-advisory)
Government sources
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-86218 (government-resource)
Other databases
Where this comes from
This advisory is generated automatically by VEDAS from: CVE.org record, CISA KEV, cve-scores (EPSS and VEDAS), Exploit Observer, vedas-signatures. Text in quotes is reproduced from the source; everything else is a fixed template filled with source fields. Nothing here is written by a language model. Check the vendor advisory before acting, and read how VEDAS and Exploit Observer work, and their limits.