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CVE-2026-73313 XenForo CVE debrief

CVE-2026-73313 is a high-severity vulnerability in XenForo, a popular forum software, that allows an authenticated attacker to bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA) using the passkey TFA provider. This vulnerability affects XenForo versions prior to 2.3.13 and has a CVSS score of 7.6, indicating high severity. The vulnerability is caused by a global credential lookup in the passkey verification path, which does not validate that the matched credential belongs to the user whose login is pending. This allows an attacker who knows a target account's password to sign the challenge with their own passkey and bypass MFA on both public forum and ACP login paths. Defenders responsible  

Vendor
XenForo
Product
Unknown
CVSS
HIGH 7.6
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2026-09-08
Original CVE updated
2026-09-14
Advisory published
2026-09-08
Advisory updated
2026-09-14

Who should care

Defenders responsible for XenForo instances, especially those with MFA enabled, should assess exposure and prioritize patching to prevent potential authentication bypass attacks. System administrators and security teams managing XenForo installations should be aware of this vulnerability and take immediate action to protect their systems. Additionally, developers and DevOps teams involved in maintaining and updating XenForo installations should be informed

Why it matters

CVE-2026-73313 is a high-severity vulnerability in XenForo that allows an authenticated attacker to bypass MFA using the passkey TFA provider, affecting versions prior to 2.3.13.

  • An attacker with knowledge of a target account's password can bypass MFA
  • The vulnerability allows for authentication bypass on both public forum and ACP login paths
  • Patching is required to prevent potential authentication bypass attacks
  • Verification of MFA configurations and login activity is necessary

Technical summary

The vulnerability is caused by a global credential lookup in the passkey verification path, which does not validate that the matched credential belongs to the user whose login is pending. This allows an attacker who knows a target account's password to sign the challenge with their own passkey and bypass MFA on both public forum and ACP login paths. The passkey verification path performs a global credential lookup without validating that the matched credential belongs to the user whose login is pending, enabling an attacker who knows a target account's password to sign the challenge with their own passkey and bypass multi-factor authentication on both public forum and ACP login paths. Additionally, defenders  

Defensive priority

Defenders should prioritize patching this vulnerability, especially for XenForo instances with MFA enabled, to prevent potential authentication bypass attacks.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Patch XenForo to version 2.3.13 or later
  • Review and update MFA configurations
  • Monitor for suspicious login activity
  • Verify the integrity of user accounts and passkey credentials
  • Conduct a thorough review of system logs for potential exploitation attempts
  • Implement additional security measures, such as IP blocking or rate limiting, to prevent brute-force attacks
  • Consider disabling passkey TFA provider until the patch is applied

Evidence notes

The CVE record and NVD entry provide details on the vulnerability, including its description, CVSS score, and affected versions. Additional information is available from third-party advisories and exploit reports.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2026-73313 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-73313

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2026-73313 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-73313

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://bombobombone.github.io/posts/cve-2026-73313/

    [email protected] - Exploit, Third Party Advisory

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://github.com/BomboBombone/CVE-2026-73313

    [email protected] - Exploit, Third Party Advisory

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/xenforo-mfa-bypass-via-passkey-tfa-provider

    [email protected] - Third Party Advisory

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://xenforo.com/community/threads/security-fixes-released-for-all-xenforo-and-media-gallery-versions-2-2-0-2-3-12.239856/

    [email protected] - Release Notes

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://xenforo.com/community/threads/xenforo-2-3-13-and-add-ons-released-includes-security-fixes.239857/

    [email protected] - Release Notes

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.