FileBrowser: Missing Rate Limiting on Authentication Endpoint Enables Brute Force Attacks

Exploitation

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

CVSS

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

EPSS

No dated EPSS signal available.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary The /api/auth/login endpoint does not implement rate limiting, account lockout, or progressive backoff for repeated authentication failures. As a result, an attacker can perform unlimited login attempts against the endpoint. When combined with the username enumeration timing vulnerability, valid accounts can be identified and then brute-forced without restriction. The risk is further increased by a weak default password policy that only enforces a minimum length of five characters. Details The authentication endpoint /api/auth/login does not enforce any form of rate limiting, account lockout, or progressive backoff for repeated failed login attempts. Testing confirmed that the endpoint accepts an unlimited number of authentication attempts from the same client without delay or restriction. This allows attackers to repeatedly attempt password guesses against valid usernames. Secure authentication systems typically enforce request throttling, temporary account lockout, or…

Published by the source

25 Jun 2026, 18:18 UTC

Last modified by the source

25 Jun 2026, 18:18 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 15:24 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-r4v7-6wcg-ghj5

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# Patch Next advisory brief: GHSA-r4v7-6wcg-ghj5

Advisory: FileBrowser: Missing Rate Limiting on Authentication Endpoint Enables Brute Force Attacks
IDs: GHSA-r4v7-6wcg-ghj5
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/ghsa-r4v7-6wcg-ghj5 (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 15:24 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 6.5)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: github.com/gtsteffaniak/filebrowser 0.0.0-20260522161427-fa5abc8c67f3a. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Go github.com/gtsteffaniak/filebrowser: affected < 0.0.0-20260522161427-fa5abc8c67f3a; fixed in 0.0.0-20260522161427-fa5abc8c67f3a

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Go github.com/gtsteffaniak/filebrowser: check the installed version with your package manager.

## 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 github.com/gtsteffaniak/filebrowser.
- 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://github.com/advisories/GHSA-r4v7-6wcg-ghj5 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-r4v7-6wcg-ghj5 lists affected ranges: Go github.com/gtsteffaniak/filebrowser >=0 <0.0.0-20260522161427-fa5abc8c67f3a)

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