Description
Nginx UI is a web user interface for the Nginx web server. In versions 2.3.5 and prior, the nginx-ui MCP (Model Context Protocol) integration exposes two HTTP endpoints: /mcp and /mcp_message. While /mcp requires both IP whitelisting and authentication (AuthRequired() middleware), the /mcp_message endpoint only applies IP whitelisting - and the default IP whitelist is empty, which the middleware treats as "allow all". This means any network attacker can invoke all MCP tools without authentication, including restarting nginx, creating/modifying/deleting nginx configuration files, and triggering automatic config reloads - achieving complete nginx service takeover. At time of publication, there are no publicly available patches.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0xJacky | nginx-ui | <= 2.3.5 | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Leap 16.0 | govulncheck-vulndb | 0.0.20260723T184607-160000.1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2026:21483-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.6 | govulncheck-vulndb | 0.0.20260402T184258-150000.1.158.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:1205-1 |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
GitHub 4 repositories
-
keraattin/CVE-2026-33032 ★ 5 · Apr 18, 2026
One missing function call on the route registration was enough to turn the MCP interface into an unauthenticated RCE gateway.
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Twinson333/cve-2026-33032-scanner ★ 3 · Apr 3, 2026
Non-destructive vulnerability scanner for Nginx-UI MCP Endpoint Authentication Bypass (CVE-2026-33032)
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Shreda/CVE-2026-33032-nginx-ui-vuln-lab ★ 1 · Apr 17, 2026
Docker Compose setup to demonstrate the nginx-ui missing authentication vulnerability
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Baba01hacker666/CVE-2026-33032 ★ 0 · Aug 21, 2026
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Automated scanner template
A ready-made Nuclei template detects this vulnerability automatically. Vulnerabilities with public scanner templates are typically probed across the internet soon after the template appears — exposed systems should be patched first.
- Nginx UI - Broken Access Control http/cves/2026/CVE-2026-33032.yaml
Source: projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates (MIT) — updated daily. Only links are listed.
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Go | github.com/0xJacky/Nginx-UI | <= 1.99 | — | GHSA-h6c2-x2m2-mwhf |
| Go | github.com/0xJacky/Nginx-UI | all versions | — | GO-2026-4904 |
Advisories 3
- openSUSE-SU-2026:21483-1 Security update for govulncheck-vulndb SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Jul 31, 2026
- WID-SEC-2026-0931 nginx-ui: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Apr 15, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:1205-1 Security update for govulncheck-vulndb SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Apr 8, 2026