NATS credentials are exposed in monitoring port via command-line argv
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 21/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.53% (FIRST EPSS).
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
- Fixed version: nats-server (Debian:14) 2.12.6-1; github.com/nats-io/nats-server/v2 (Go) 2.12.6, 2.11.15.
- Severity is disputed: the assigning authority (CNA) scores it 7.4, NVD 5.3.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to nats-server (Debian:14) 2.12.6-1; github.com/nats-io/nats-server/v2 (Go) 2.12.6, 2.11.15 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
NATS-Server is a High-Performance server for NATS.io, a cloud and edge native messaging system. Prior to versions 2.11.15 and 2.12.6, if a nats-server is run with static credentials for all clients provided via argv (the command-line), then those credentials are visible to any user who can see the monitoring port, if that too is enabled. The `/debug/vars` end-point contains an unredacted copy of argv. Versions 2.11.15 and 2.12.6 contain a fix. As a workaround, configure credentials inside a configuration file instead of via argv, and do not enable the monitoring port if using secrets in argv. Best practice remains to not expose the monitoring port to the Internet, or to untrusted network sources.
- Published
- Mar 25, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 9, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.5% · 44th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-215
Report tools
Action score
21
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 21 / 40 · 5.3 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.5%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 5.3
- CNA · GitHub_M
- 7.4
- 2.1 point gap
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| linuxfoundation | nats-server | cpe:2.3:a:linuxfoundation:nats-server |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- linuxfoundation nats-serverbefore 2.11.15
- linuxfoundation nats-server2.12.0 and later · before 2.12.6
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
nats-io nats-server
- < 2.11.15, >= 2.12.0-RC.1, < 2.12.6affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | nats-server | all versions | — |
| Debian:14 | nats-server | before 2.12.6-1 | 2.12.6-1 |
| Go | github.com/nats-io/nats-server | all versions | — |
| Go | github.com/nats-io/nats-server/v2 | from 2.12.0-RC.1 · before 2.12.6 | 2.12.6 |
| Go | github.com/nats-io/nats-server/v2 | before 2.11.15 | 2.11.15 |
Same product
linuxfoundation: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2020-26892The JWT library in NATS nats-server before 2.1.9 has Incorrect Access Control because of how expired credentials are handled.40Plan
- CVE-2022-28357NATS nats-server 2.2.0 through 2.7.4 allows directory traversal because of an unintended path to a management action from a management accou39Monitor
- CVE-2026-58253NATS Server: Route API Auth Bypass35Monitor
- CVE-2020-28466Denial of Service (DoS)31Monitor
- CVE-2020-26521The JWT library in NATS nats-server before 2.1.9 allows a denial of service (a nil dereference in Go code).31Monitor
- CVE-2019-13126An integer overflow in NATS Server before 2.0.2 allows a remote attacker to crash the server by sending a crafted request.31Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| debian:nats-server | 2.12.6-1 · Debian:14 | Package registry (OSV) |
| Go:github.com/nats-io/nats-server/v2 | 2.11.15 | Package registry (OSV) |
| Go:github.com/nats-io/nats-server/v2 | 2.12.6 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- none
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- High
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-215 · Insertion of Sensitive Information Into Debugging CodeCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (7 more)Show less
- github.com/nats-io/nats-server/security/advisories/GHSA-x6g4-f6q3-fqvv
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:21769
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:22347
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:23345
- access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-33247
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2451486
- security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-33247.json
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.