CVE-2026-78619Network attack vector

Account takeover via numeric recovery-code ownership check

Published Aug 25, 2026 · Updated Aug 25, 2026

Authentication bypass in Robert Acock Punk-TOTP before 0.05 allows remote authenticated users to pass another account's second factor. The totp_use_recovery helper searches all recovery-code digests, then compares the matched row's user_id to the challenged account with numeric coercion, treating nonnumeric identifiers as zero. Exploitation requires the victim's password and an attacker-controlled recovery code, and successful use grants access as the victim when identifiers are usernames, email addresses, or UUIDs.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability0.62%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Authentication bypass in Robert Acock Punk-TOTP before 0.05 allows remote authenticated users to pass another account's second factor. The totp_use_recovery helper searches all recovery-code digests, then compares the matched row's user_id to the challenged account with numeric coercion, treating nonnumeric identifiers as zero. Exploitation requires the victim's password and an attacker-controlled recovery code, and successful use grants access as the victim when identifiers are usernames, email addresses, or UUIDs.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-78619
Published
Aug 25, 2026
Updated
Aug 25, 2026
Vendor
Robert Acock
Product
Punk-TOTP
Classifications
CWE-305, CWE-1025, T1078
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 25, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 25, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <0.05

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Robert Acock · Punk-TOTPversion=0 <0.05

Published CVSS scores

9.8CISA ADP VulnrichmentCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-305Authentication Bypass by Primary Weakness
CWE-1025Comparison Using Wrong Factors
T1078Valid Accounts

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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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