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TI-2026-86124 Aliases CVE-2026-71863

SecureDrop copies Onion Service credentials to Monitor Server

Priority LOW 13CWE-201Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
High
User interaction
Required
Attack complexity
High
Impact type
Information disclosure
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
Low · None · None
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-201.

Summary

SecureDrop from 2.13.0 before 2.16.1 copies its admin configuration files, including Onion Service client authentication credentials, to the Monitor Server (CWE-201). Running the securedrop-admin install playbook with journalist alerts disabled leaves the alert key filename empty, so the copy task transfers every file. An attacker must first compromise the privileged Monitor Server, and the credentials alone do not grant sufficient access.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06

Description from the CNA

SecureDrop is an open-source whistleblower submission system that media organizations can use to securely accept documents from, and communicate with anonymous sources. From 2.13.0 until 2.16.1, running the securedrop-admin install Ansible playbook with journalist alerts disabled leaves the journalist alert key filename empty, causing the copy task to transfer every file in ~/.config/securedrop-admin/, including Onion Service client authentication credentials, to the Monitor Server. An attacker must first compromise the privileged Monitor Server to obtain the credentials, and the credentials remain an additional protection layer rather than sufficient access by themselves because the Journalist Interface still requires a username, passphrase, and MFA, while SSH access still requires SSH keys. This issue is fixed in version 2.16.1.

Why it matters now

EPSS 0.00214 11th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed securedrop (freedomofpress): 2.16.1

SSVC decision points

Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
freedomofpresssecuredrop2.13.0 to before 2.16.12.16.1Patch availableCNA
  • securedrop Vendorfreedomofpress Affected 2.13.0 to before 2.16.1 Fixed in 2.16.1 Patch available CNA

Remediation

Upgrade SecureDrop to version 2.16.1, which fixes the issue.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06

  • Fix · CNA securedrop (freedomofpress) Fixed in 2.16.1

Timeline

  1. 2026-11-06 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-71863

References

  • TI-2025-18590 Path traversal in SecureDrop Client API.download_reply() CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.1
  • TI-2026-83225 SecureDrop lets API session tokens be reused against the web UI CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.0
  • TI-2025-18591 Path traversal in sd-log Qubes virtual machine CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 4.5
  • TI-2026-36827 securedrop-proxy origin limitation can be bypassed with redirects CVSS 3.1LOW 3.7

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences