CVE-2026-42238
CriticalSummary
Nginx UI, a web user interface for the Nginx web server, prior to version 2.3.8, exposed a backup restore endpoint (POST /api/restore) that was completely unauthenticated during the first 10 minutes after process startup on any fresh installation. An unauthenticated remote attacker could upload a crafted backup archive that overwrote the application's configuration file and SQLite database.
Risk Assessment
An attacker could inject arbitrary OS commands, posing a serious security risk, especially when the application runs with root privileges. This could lead to full system compromise.
Recommendation
It is recommended to update Nginx UI to version 2.3.8 or later to mitigate this vulnerability. Additionally, consider restricting access to the backup restore endpoint.
Original NVD description (English source)
Nginx UI is a web user interface for the Nginx web server. Prior to version 2.3.8, nginx-ui exposes a backup restore endpoint (POST /api/restore) that is completely unauthenticated during the first 10 minutes after process startup on any fresh installation. An unauthenticated remote attacker can upload a crafted backup archive that overwrites the application's configuration file (app.ini) and SQLite database. Because the attacker controls the restored app.ini, they can inject an arbitrary OS command into the TestConfigCmd setting. After the application automatically restarts to apply the restored config, a single follow-up request triggers that command as the user running nginx-ui — typically root in Docker deployments. This issue has been patched in version 2.3.8.