Cookie-path manipulation via backslash prefix bypass
Published Aug 25, 2026 · Updated Aug 27, 2026
Improper input validation in Adminer 4.6.0 through 5.5.0 allows remote attackers to alter cookie-path scoping via X-Forwarded-Prefix. The guard in bootstrap.inc.php accepts a prefix whose second character is a backslash, then prepends it to REQUEST_URI; browser slash normalization lets the resulting network-path reference reach cookie_path() and the Set-Cookie Path attribute. Exploitation requires a client-settable X-Forwarded-Prefix header through a misconfigured or absent reverse proxy, and the documented consequence is limited to anomalous cookie-path scoping.
Summary
What happened
Improper input validation in Adminer 4.6.0 through 5.5.0 allows remote attackers to alter cookie-path scoping via X-Forwarded-Prefix. The guard in bootstrap.inc.php accepts a prefix whose second character is a backslash, then prepends it to REQUEST_URI; browser slash normalization lets the resulting network-path reference reach cookie_path() and the Set-Cookie Path attribute. Exploitation requires a client-settable X-Forwarded-Prefix header through a misconfigured or absent reverse proxy, and the documented consequence is limited to anomalous cookie-path scoping.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-16434
- Published
- Aug 25, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 27, 2026
- Vendor
- Adminer
- Product
- Adminer
- Classifications
- CWE-20
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 25, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 27, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <5.5.1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- GHSA-fr74-9mf9-gf44 self-contained proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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