CVE-2026-33032

CVE-2026-33032 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Nginxui Nginx Ui with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 38% places it in the 98th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-306.

Key facts

Description

Nginx UI is a web user interface for the Nginx web server. In versions 2.3.5 and prior, the nginx-ui MCP (Model Context Protocol) integration exposes two HTTP endpoints: /mcp and /mcp_message. While /mcp requires both IP whitelisting and authentication (AuthRequired() middleware), the /mcp_message endpoint only applies IP whitelisting - and the default IP whitelist is empty, which the middleware treats as "allow all". This means any network attacker can invoke all MCP tools without authentication, including restarting nginx, creating/modifying/deleting nginx configuration files, and triggering automatic config reloads - achieving complete nginx service takeover. At time of publication, there are no publicly available patches.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-33032?
Nginx UI is a web user interface for the Nginx web server. In versions 2.3.5 and prior, the nginx-ui MCP (Model Context Protocol) integration exposes two HTTP endpoints: /mcp and /mcp_message. While /mcp requires both IP whitelisting and authentication (AuthRequired() middleware), the /mcp_message endpoint only applies IP whitelisting - and the default IP whitelist is empty, which the middleware treats as "allow all". This means any network attacker can invoke all MCP tools without authentication, including restarting nginx, creating/modifying/deleting nginx configuration files, and triggering automatic config reloads - achieving complete nginx service takeover. At time of publication, there are no publicly available patches.
How severe is CVE-2026-33032?
CVE-2026-33032 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2026-33032 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 38% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-33032?
CVE-2026-33032 affects Nginxui Nginx Ui. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-33032?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2026-33032 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2026-33032 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-17158.
When was CVE-2026-33032 published?
CVE-2026-33032 was published on 2026-03-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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