CVE-2026-26016
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedWings is the server control plane for Pterodactyl, a free, open-source game server management panel. Prior to version 1.12.1, a missing authorization check in multiple controllers allows any user with access to a node secret token to fetch information about any server on a Pterodactyl instance, even if that server is associated with a different node. This issue stems from missing logic to verify that the node requesting server data is the same node that the server is associated with. Any authenticated Wings node can retrieve server installation scripts (potentially containing secret values) and manipulate the installation status of servers belonging to other nodes. Wings nodes may also manipulate the transfer status of servers belonging to other nodes. This vulnerability requires a user to acquire a secret access token for a node. Unless a user gains access to a Wings secret access token they would not be able to access any of these vulnerable endpoints, as every endpoint requires a valid node access token. A single compromised Wings node daemon token (stored in plaintext at `/etc/pterodactyl/config.yml`) grants access to sensitive configuration data of every server on the panel, rather than only to servers that the node has access to. An attacker can use this information to move laterally through the system, send excessive notifications, destroy server data on other nodes, and otherwise exfiltrate secrets that they should not have access to with only a node token. Additionally, triggering a false transfer success causes the panel to delete the server from the source node, resulting in permanent data loss. Users should upgrade to version 1.12.1 to receive a fix.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThis is a broken access control vulnerability in Wings (Pterodactyl's server control plane) where multiple controllers lack proper authorization validation. Any Wings node possessing a valid secret token can access, modify, or exfiltrate data for ANY server on the Pterodactyl instance regardless of which node the server actually belongs to, because the code fails to verify that the requesting node is the same node associated with the target server.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 1.12.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Determine Pterodactyl Panel versionCheck the installed Panel version by viewing the admin dashboard footer, querying the Panel API endpoint, or examining the compiled Panel files on the serverAffected if Version is below 1.12.1
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Confirm Wings node deploymentIdentify whether Wings nodes are deployed in your environment by reviewing the Panel's node list under the Admin > Nodes section or checking for Wings services on node serversAffected if Wings nodes are in use and Panel version is below 1.12.1
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Review node configuration and tokensExamine node configuration files on Wings nodes, typically at /etc/pterodactyl/config.yml, to locate stored secret tokens and document which nodes have accessAffected if Configuration files contain node tokens and Panel version is below 1.12.1
You are affected if your Pterodactyl Panel version is below 1.12.1 and you have Wings nodes deployed in your environment.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped1.12.1
Upgrade Wings to version 1.12.1 which implements proper node-server association verification before allowing data access or manipulation. Additionally, rotate any potentially compromised node tokens stored in plaintext at /etc/pterodactyl/config.yml.
1.12.1
- Back up your current Pterodactyl configuration files (especially /etc/pterodactyl/config.yml and any database backups)
- Update your system package repositories
- For Wings (node daemon): download and install the new Wings 1.12.1 package using the official Pterodactyl installation script or by reinstalling wings
- For Panel: update the Pterodactyl Panel to version 1.12.1 following the standard panel upgrade procedure
- Restart the Wings service after upgrade: systemctl restart wings
- Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the Wings version: wings --version
- Ensure node tokens are rotated if you suspect any token may have been compromised
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-26016 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-26016 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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