CVE-2026-27468

CVE-2026-27468 is a high-severity vulnerability in Joinmastodon Mastodon with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.2. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-862.

Key facts

Description

Mastodon is a free, open-source social network server based on ActivityPub. FASP registration requires manual approval by an administrator. In versions 4.4.0 through 4.4.13 and 4.5.0 through 4.5.6, actions performed by a FASP to subscribe to account/content lifecycle events or to backfill content did not check properly whether the FASP was actually approved. This only affects Mastodon servers that have opted in to testing the experimental FASP feature by setting the environment variable `EXPERIMENTAL_FEATURES` to a value including `fasp`. An attacker can make subscriptions and request content backfill without approval by an administrator. Done once, this leads to minor information leak of URIs that are publicly available anyway. But done several times this is a serious vector for DOS, putting pressure on the sidekiq worker responsible for the `fasp` queue. The fix is included in the 4.4.14 and 4.5.7 releases. Admins that are actively testing the experimental "fasp" feature should update their systems. Servers not using the experimental feature flag `fasp` are not affected.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-27468?
Mastodon is a free, open-source social network server based on ActivityPub. FASP registration requires manual approval by an administrator. In versions 4.4.0 through 4.4.13 and 4.5.0 through 4.5.6, actions performed by a FASP to subscribe to account/content lifecycle events or to backfill content did not check properly whether the FASP was actually approved. This only affects Mastodon servers that have opted in to testing the experimental FASP feature by setting the environment variable `EXPERIMENTAL_FEATURES` to a value including `fasp`. An attacker can make subscriptions and request content backfill without approval by an administrator. Done once, this leads to minor information leak of URIs that are publicly available anyway. But done several times this is a serious vector for DOS, putting pressure on the sidekiq worker responsible for the `fasp` queue. The fix is included in the 4.4.14 and 4.5.7 releases. Admins that are actively testing the experimental "fasp" feature should update their systems. Servers not using the experimental feature flag `fasp` are not affected.
How severe is CVE-2026-27468?
CVE-2026-27468 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.2, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2026-27468 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (36th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-27468?
CVE-2026-27468 affects Joinmastodon Mastodon. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-27468?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2026-27468 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2026-27468 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-8546.
When was CVE-2026-27468 published?
CVE-2026-27468 was published on 2026-02-24 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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