CVE-2026-40701
MediumWhat is CVE-2026-40701?
NGINX Plus and NGINX Open Source have a vulnerability in the ngx_http_ssl_module module when the ssl_verify_client directive is set to "on" or "optional," and the ssl_ocsp directive is set to "on" or the leaf parameters are configured with a resolver. With this configuration, an unauthenticated attacker can send requests along with conditions beyond its control that may cause a heap-use-after-free error in the NGINX worker process. This vulnerability may result in limited modification of data or the NGINX worker process restarting. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.
CVSS Vector Breakdown
CVSS 3.1Exploitable remotely over the network without requiring access to the local system.
Exploit requires specific conditions, timing, or configuration to succeed.
No authentication required. Any anonymous user can exploit this vulnerability.
No user interaction required. Exploit runs without any victim action.
Exploiting the vulnerability only affects the vulnerable component itself.
Some sensitive information is disclosed, but attacker has limited access.
No integrity impact. Data cannot be modified.
Reduced performance or intermittent outages, but service remains available.
FAQ
CVE-2026-40701 has a CVSS score of 4.8/10, rated as Medium. Review the affected products list and apply vendor patches.
CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) rates vulnerability severity from 0.0 to 10.0. CVE-2026-40701 scores 4.8/10 (Medium). Scores 9.0–10.0 are Critical, 7.0–8.9 are High, 4.0–6.9 are Medium, and below 4.0 are Low.
The list of devices confirmed to be affected by CVE-2026-40701 is shown in the "Affected Devices" section above. Check your firmware version against the vendor security advisory and apply the latest patch.
Apply the latest firmware or software update from the vendor. Check the References section above for official advisories and patch notes. If no patch is available, consider disabling the affected feature or isolating the device from untrusted networks.