The Rapid7 Metasploit msf-ws suffers from a missing authentication vulnerability whereby the REST API grants an unauthenticated "bootstrap" exemption so that the very first administrator can be created when the users table is empty. While the table is empty, POST /api/v1/users is exempt from authentication by design: the route handler calls warden.authenticate!(scope: :admin_api), which resolves to AdminApiToken. The inherited ApiToken#authenticate! short-circuits and returns success!() whenever msf.auth_initialized is false, without ever evaluating AdminApiToken's administrator check. In that state the endpoint creates a user — including an administrator — for an entirely unauthenticated caller.


This issue has been fixed in version 6.5.9.

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History

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 19:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Fri, 06 Nov 2026 16:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Metasploit
Metasploit metasploit Framework
Vendors & Products Metasploit
Metasploit metasploit Framework

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}


Thu, 05 Nov 2026 15:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description The Rapid7 Metasploit msf-ws suffers from a missing authentication vulnerability whereby the REST API grants an unauthenticated "bootstrap" exemption so that the very first administrator can be created when the users table is empty. While the table is empty, POST /api/v1/users is exempt from authentication by design: the route handler calls warden.authenticate!(scope: :admin_api), which resolves to AdminApiToken. The inherited ApiToken#authenticate! short-circuits and returns success!() whenever msf.auth_initialized is false, without ever evaluating AdminApiToken's administrator check. In that state the endpoint creates a user — including an administrator — for an entirely unauthenticated caller. This issue has been fixed in version 6.5.9.
Title Rapid7 Metasploit Framework Web Service unauthenticated bootstrap window allows creation of an administrator account without authentication
Weaknesses CWE-306
References
Metrics cvssV4_0

{'score': 7.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N'}


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cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: rapid7

Published:

Updated: 2026-11-06T06:13:32.715Z

Reserved: 2026-11-03T09:50:59.943Z

Link: CVE-2026-121139

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-11-05T17:09:50.569Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Awaiting Analysis

Published: 2026-11-05T16:17:44.787

Modified: 2026-11-06T20:38:53.570

Link: CVE-2026-121139

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-11-06T16:30:07Z

Weaknesses