Default admin credentials in Vanus gateway allow cluster takeover
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- None
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
Vanus versions 0.8.0 through 0.9.0 ship with a hardcoded admin token, which is a default credentials flaw (CWE-1392). An unauthenticated remote attacker can send that fixed Bearer token to the gateway gRPC proxy port to gain cluster-admin access, manage namespaces, eventbuses, users, tokens and role bindings, and read or publish events. The CVSS 4.0 vector rates the impact as high on confidentiality, integrity and availability, and CISA's SSVC data marks the flaw as automatable with a proof-of-concept exploit.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-28
Description from the CNA
Vanus 0.8.0 through 0.9.0 contains a default credentials vulnerability that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to gain cluster-admin access by using the hardcoded admin token. Attackers can send the fixed Bearer token to the gateway gRPC proxy port to manage namespaces, eventbuses, users, tokens, and role bindings, and read or publish events.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vanus-labs | vanus | 0.8.0 – 0.9.0 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- vanus Vendorvanus-labs Affected 0.8.0 – 0.9.0 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
Remediation
The sources list no fixed version for vanus.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-28
Timeline
- 2026-10-18 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-111998
- 2026-10-18 Alias added: GHSA-7rhh-2jm2-9fgj
- 2026-10-20 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-20 Priority changed: MEDIUM → HIGH
- 2026-10-25 EPSS moved to the 50th–90th percentile
References
More vanus-labs vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-76151 Vanus CloudEvents gateway receiver missing authentication CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2026-76152 Missing authorization in Vanus gateway enables subscription hijacking CVSS 4.0HIGH 7.2
Sources
- CVE-2026-111998 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-111998 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-7rhh-2jm2-9fgj · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences