PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief
CVE-2026-91971 go-vikunja CVE debrief
CVE-2026-91971 is a high-severity vulnerability in Vikunja before version 2.6.0, allowing authenticated users to upload crafted images that can cause a denial of service due to excessive CPU and memory consumption during processing. The vulnerability exists in the avatar and project-background upload endpoints, where pixel decode limits are not applied. Attackers can upload small images with extreme aspect ratios that consume significant CPU and memory during processing, potentially leading to denial-of-service attacks. System administrators and security teams should assess exposure and prioritize upgrading to version 2.6.0 or later to mitigate potential denial-of-service attacks.
- Vendor
- go-vikunja
- Product
- vikunja
- CVSS
- HIGH 7.1
- CISA KEV
- Not listed in stored evidence
- Original CVE published
- 2026-09-15
- Original CVE updated
- 2026-09-21
- Advisory published
- 2026-09-15
- Advisory updated
- 2026-09-21
Who should care
System administrators and security teams responsible for Vikunja installations should assess exposure and prioritize upgrading to version 2.6.0 or later to mitigate potential denial-of-service attacks.
Why it matters
CVE-2026-91971 is a high-severity vulnerability in Vikunja before version 2.6.0, allowing authenticated users to upload crafted images that can cause denial of service. Defenders should prioritize verifying and upgrading to Vikunja version 2.6.0 or later, restrict image upload and processing privileges, and monitor system resources.
- Potential denial-of-service through excessive CPU and memory consumption
- Need to verify and upgrade to Vikunja version 2.6.0 or later
- Importance of restricting image upload and processing privileges to trusted users
- Monitoring system resources for unusual patterns indicative of potential attacks
Technical summary
The vulnerability exists in Vikunja before version 2.6.0, where the application fails to apply pixel decode limits to avatar and project-background upload endpoints. This allows authenticated users to upload small images with extreme aspect ratios that can consume significant CPU and memory during processing, potentially leading to denial-of-service attacks. The vulnerability has a high CVSS score of 7.1, indicating a high severity. Defenders should prioritize verifying and upgrading to Vikunja version 2.6.0 or later to prevent potential denial-of-service attacks through crafted image uploads. Additionally, defenders should restrict image upload and processing privileges to trusted users and monitor system
Defensive priority
Defenders should prioritize verifying and upgrading to Vikunja version 2.6.0 or later to prevent potential denial-of-service attacks through crafted image uploads.
Recommended defensive actions
- Verify and upgrade to Vikunja version 2.6.0 or later
- Restrict image upload and processing privileges to trusted users
- Monitor system resources for unusual patterns indicative of potential attacks
- Implement additional logging and monitoring to detect potential attacks
- Conduct regular security audits to identify potential vulnerabilities
- Review and update incident response plans to include denial-of-service attack scenarios
- Ensure that security teams are trained to respond to potential attacks
Evidence notes
The CVE record and NVD entry provide details on the vulnerability, including its high CVSS score of 7.1 and the potential for denial-of-service attacks through crafted image uploads. The vulnerability allows authenticated users to upload small images with extreme aspect ratios that can consume significant CPU and memory during processing. Defenders should verify and upgrade to Vikunja version 2.6.0 or later, restrict image upload and processing privileges to trusted users, and monitor system resources for unusual patterns indicative 0
Sources and references
Verified primary and authoritative sources
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CVE-2026-91971 CVE Program record
Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified
URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-91971
CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.
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CVE-2026-91971 NVD vulnerability detail
Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified
URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-91971
NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.
Supplemental references
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Source reference
Unverified legacy reference
URL: https://github.com/go-vikunja/vikunja/security/advisories/GHSA-4vh2-39rq-rq8j
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Source reference
Unverified legacy reference
URL: https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/vikunja-before-2.6.0-denial-of-service-via-avatar-upload
Methodology and review provenance
AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.