Actual has Privilege Escalation via 'change-password' Endpoint on OpenID-Migrated Servers

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

8.8 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS

• CVE-2026-33318: 0.47% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 40.84 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary Any authenticated user (including BASIC role) can escalate to ADMIN on servers migrated from password authentication to OpenID Connect. Three weaknesses combine: POST /account/change-password has no authorization check, allowing any session to overwrite the password hash; the inactive password auth row is never removed on migration; and the login endpoint accepts a client-supplied loginMethod that bypasses the server's active auth configuration. Together these allow an attacker to set a known password and authenticate as the anonymous admin account created during the multiuser migration. --- Details packages/sync-server/src/app-account.js:120-132 — the /account/change-password route validates only that a session exists. No admin role check is performed packages/sync-server/src/accounts/password.js:113-125 — changePassword() updates the hash with no current-password confirmation: packages/sync-server/src/accounts/password.js:56-62 — loginWithPassword() always authenticates as…

Published by the source

23 Apr 2026, 21:23 UTC

Last modified by the source

5 May 2026, 16:09 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 12:51 UTC

1. Revision 2 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-prp4-2f49-fcgp

2. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-prp4-2f49-fcgp

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-33318

Advisory: Actual has Privilege Escalation via 'change-password' Endpoint on OpenID-Migrated Servers
IDs: CVE-2026-33318, GHSA-prp4-2f49-fcgp
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-33318 (revision 2, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 12:51 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: High (CVSS 8.8)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: @actual-app/sync-server 26.4.0. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm @actual-app/sync-server: affected < 26.4.0; fixed in 26.4.0

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `npm ls @actual-app/sync-server --all`: lists every installed copy and version, including transitive ones. Run in the project root after `npm ci`.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on @actual-app/sync-server.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-prp4-2f49-fcgp (OSV record GHSA-prp4-2f49-fcgp lists affected ranges: npm @actual-app/sync-server >=0 <26.4.0 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-prp4-2f49-fcgp (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-prp4-2f49-fcgp lists affected ranges: npm @actual-app/sync-server >=0 <26.4.0)

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