CVE-2026-41679
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 · uneditedPaperclip is a Node.js server and React UI that orchestrates a team of AI agents to run a business. Prior to version 2026.416.0, an unauthenticated attacker can achieve full remote code execution on any network-accessible Paperclip instance running in `authenticated` mode with default configuration. No user interaction, no credentials, just the target's address. The chain consists of six API calls. The attack is fully automated, requires no user interaction, and works against the default deployment configuration. Version 2026.416.0 patches the issue.
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 confidencePaperclip (Node.js server with React UI for AI agent orchestration) prior to version 2026.416.0 contains an authentication bypass allowing unauthenticated remote code execution via a six-API-call chain against instances running in 'authenticated' mode with default configuration. No credentials or user interaction required.
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< 2026.416.0< 2026.416.0CVSS 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
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/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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Identify if Paperclip is installedRun 'npm list paperclipai' or 'npm list @paperclipai/server' to list installed packages. Alternatively, check for the service process running on common ports (typically 3847).Affected if Paperclip package or service is found on the system
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Determine the installed versionRun 'npm list paperclipai --depth=0' or 'npm list @paperclipai/server --depth=0' to see the exact version number. Compare against 2026.416.0.Affected if Installed version is less than 2026.416.0
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Check if running in authenticated modeInspect the Paperclip configuration file (typically config.yaml, config.json, or environment variables PC_AUTH_ENABLED=true). Look for authentication settings in the deployment configuration or startup parameters.Affected if Authentication mode is set to 'authenticated' or auth is explicitly enabled
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Verify default configuration is in useReview the active configuration files and environment variables. Check for any custom authentication middleware, non-default auth settings, or manually configured security controls.Affected if Default configuration is active with no custom authentication overrides applied
You are affected if Paperclip version is below 2026.416.0 AND it is running with authenticated mode enabled using default configuration settings.
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 · scoped2026.416.0
Upgrade to Paperclip version 2026.416.0 or later to patch the authentication bypass vulnerability.
2026.416.0
- Upgrade Paperclipai to version 2026.416.0 or later
- Upgrade Paperclipai/server to version 2026.416.0 or later
- Restart the Paperclip service after upgrading
- Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the version number
- Test that authentication is now properly enforced on the instance
- Confirm RCE is no longer achievable without valid authentication
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-41679 — 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-2026-41679 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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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data