Username enumeration via short-circuited password verification
Published Jan 19, 2026 · Updated Jan 19, 2026
Observable timing discrepancy in File Browser before 2.55.0 allows remote attackers to enumerate valid usernames via /api/login. JSONAuth.Auth returns immediately for an unknown username but runs users.CheckPwd with bcrypt when the username exists, exposing account validity through response time. No authentication or user interaction is required; the disclosed consequence is valid-account discovery that supports targeted password attacks.
Summary
What happened
Observable timing discrepancy in File Browser before 2.55.0 allows remote attackers to enumerate valid usernames via /api/login. JSONAuth.Auth returns immediately for an unknown username but runs users.CheckPwd with bcrypt when the username exists, exposing account validity through response time. No authentication or user interaction is required; the disclosed consequence is valid-account discovery that supports targeted password attacks.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-23849
- Published
- Jan 19, 2026
- Updated
- Jan 19, 2026
- Vendor
- File Browser Contributors
- Product
- File Browser
- Classifications
- CWE-203, CWE-208, T1589
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 19, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jan 19, 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=< 2.55.0
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
- File Browser timing-attack proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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