dbcve.org
InjectionWeakness · CWE-74

CVE-2026-45344

HIGH · 8.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-05-28
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
90/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
LinkAce is a self-hosted archive to collect website links. Prior to 2.5.6, the setup database configuration flow on uninitialized LinkAce instances accepts attacker-controlled database credential fields and writes them back into .env without escaping. A remote attacker who can reach the setup endpoints and supply a database they control can inject mail configuration variables and achieve command execution when the application later sends mail. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.5.6.

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 confidence

LinkAce versions prior to 2.5.6 have an improper input validation vulnerability in the initial setup database configuration flow. The application writes database credentials to the .env file without escaping, allowing an attacker who can reach the setup endpoints and provide a malicious database they control to inject mail configuration variables. These injected variables can trigger command execution when the application sends email.

MitigationUpdate LinkAce to version 2.5.6 or later. Additionally, ensure the setup endpoints are not exposed to untrusted networks by using network segmentation or firewall rules, as the vulnerability only affects uninitialized instances.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Determine installed LinkAce version
    Locate the version file or check the application for its version identifier. In LinkAce, this is typically visible in the admin interface or in a VERSION file in the application root. Compare your version to the affected range (before 2.5.6).
    Affected if Your installed version is lower than 2.5.6
  2. Check if setup endpoint is accessible
    Attempt to access the setup initialization endpoint. In LinkAce, this is typically at /setup or /install. Check if the application returns a setup wizard or initialization form rather than redirecting to the login page.
    Affected if The setup page loads and accepts input, indicating the application has not been initialized or can be re-initialized
  3. Inspect .env file for unexpected entries
    Locate the .env file in the LinkAce application root. Review all entries, particularly looking for mail configuration variables (MAIL_*) that were not intentionally configured or that contain unusual values.
    Affected if The .env contains mail configuration values that were not explicitly set during your known setup process, or contains suspicious encoded/escaped content
  4. Check for unauthorized mail configuration
    Examine the .env file for MAIL_* variables such as MAIL_MAILER, MAIL_HOST, MAIL_USERNAME, MAIL_PASSWORD, or MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS that contain values you did not configure.
    Affected if Mail configuration entries exist in .env that you did not personally configure during installation
  5. Review application logs for email operations
    Check LinkAce logs (typically in storage/logs/) for any email sending operations, particularly those that may have executed system commands or connected to unexpected servers.
    Affected if Logs show email was sent using configuration you did not set, or show command execution patterns consistent with injected mail settings

You are affected if your LinkAce version is before 2.5.6 AND the setup endpoint is accessible OR your .env file contains mail configuration you did not intentionally set.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update LinkAce to version 2.5.6 or later. Additionally, ensure the setup endpoints are not exposed to untrusted networks by using network segmentation or firewall rules, as the vulnerability only affects uninitialized instances.

Recommended fix High confidence

2.5.6

  1. Backup your existing LinkAce installation and database before proceeding
  2. Download LinkAce version 2.5.6 from the official GitHub repository
  3. Replace all existing LinkAce application files with the new version 2.5.6
  4. Run database migrations if applicable (php artisan migrate)
  5. Clear any cached configurations (php artisan config:clear)
  6. Verify the application is functioning correctly after the upgrade
  7. Ensure the .env file permissions are properly set (should not be publicly readable)

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-45344 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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