CVE-2026-70490 open-webui CVE debrief

Who should care

Administrators and users of Open WebUI, especially those with pending accounts or using terminal servers, should be aware of this vulnerability. They need to verify Open WebUI version and apply patches, review and update access controls for terminal servers, and monitor for suspicious terminal activity. This vulnerability has a CVSS score of 6.3, indicating medium severity, and requires attention from operators, platform administrators, vulnerability management teams, and security teams to ensure proper mitigation and protection of affected systems.

Technical summary

The terminal WebSocket route in Open WebUI versions 0.8.8 to 0.11.0 has a vulnerability allowing pending accounts to access terminal sessions without proper authentication. This occurs because the terminal WebSocket route authenticates its own first-message JWT and never applies the verified-user role gate that get_verified_user enforces on HTTP terminal routes. The impact of this vulnerability is that an account whose role is pending, including a registered but unapproved account or an account deactivated back to pending, can open an interactive terminal session when at least one terminal server is configured and its access grants cover the account.

Defensive priority

Medium priority due to the CVSS score of 6.3 and potential for unauthorized terminal access.

Recommended defensive actions

• Verify Open WebUI version and apply patch
• Review and update access controls for terminal servers
• Monitor for suspicious terminal activity
• Confirm whether affected Open WebUI deployments exist in managed environments and assign an owner for follow-up.
• Review the supplied official advisory or CVE record to validate affected scope, severity, and vendor guidance.
• Plan vendor-supported updates or mitigations through normal change control where exposure is confirmed.
• Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review.

Evidence notes

The CVE description provides details on the vulnerability in Open WebUI versions from 0.8.8 to 0.11.0, affecting terminal WebSocket route authentication. This issue allows pending accounts, including registered but unapproved accounts or accounts deactivated back to pending, to open interactive terminal sessions when at least one terminal server is configured and its access grants cover the account. The vulnerability loses the account-approval boundary for terminal access while the HTTP terminal routes correctly reject the same account. To verify, defenders should check the Open WebUI version, review access controls for terminal servers, and monitor for suspicious terminal activity.

Official resources