CVE-2026-48491 — Traefik SNICheck Wildcard TLSOptions mTLS Bypass (CVE-2026-48491)
Traefik is an HTTP reverse proxy and load balancer. From 3.7.0 until 3.7.3, there is a high severity vulnerability in Traefik's domain-fronting protection (SNICheck) that allows an unauthenticated client to bypass mutual TLS enforced through wildcard router TLSOptions. When a router uses a wildcard host rule such as Host(*.example.com) with stricter TLS options (for example RequireAndVerifyClientCert), SNICheck resolves the TLS options for the HTTP Host header using exact map lookups only and never applies wildcard matching. If another permissive SNI is served on the same entrypoint, an attacker can complete the TLS handshake under the permissive options and then send an HTTP Host header targeting the wildcard-protected backend, reaching it without presenting a client certificate. This affects the regular HTTPS / HTTP-2 path and does not require HTTP/3. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.7.3.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.4% (30-day exploitation probability)+4
- Technical severity (critical)+10
- Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — github.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — github.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Traefik Traefik).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (authentication), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.8 | CVSS 4.0 | High | — | — | security-advisories@github.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.8 | CVSS 4.0 | High | — | — | GitHub_M via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 10.0 | CVSS 3.1 | Critical | 3.9 | 5.8 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 9.1 | CVSS 3.1 | Critical | 3.9 | 5.2 | 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
CWE-288 · Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.36%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Review authentication logs: logins without MFA, anomalous sessions and recently created accounts.
Analysis and videos
CVE-2026-48491: Traefik SNICheck Wildcard TLSOptions mTLS Bypass
CVE-2026-48491 affects Traefik versions 3.7.0 up to 3.7.3, where the SNICheck domain-fronting protection does not apply wildcard TLS options to the HTTP Host header. According to the record, an unauthenticated client may reach a wildcard-protected backend without presenting a client certificate. The issue is fixed in 3.7.3, and no confirmed exploitation appears in the sources consulted.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · traefik/traefik
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Fix documented
- CVSS changed · 10.0
- Source status changed · → Modified
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
6 on the record
- github.com/traefik/traefik/security/advisories/GHSA-5r4w-85f3-pw66
- github.com/traefik/traefik/releases/tag/v3.7.3
- access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-48491
- security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-48491.json
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:62260
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Medium CVE-2026-88012 Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling in Traefik Sep 10, 2026
- High CVE-2026-88009 HTTP Request Smuggling in Traefik Sep 10, 2026
- High CVE-2026-88011 Authentication Bypass by Spoofing in Traefik Sep 10, 2026
- Critical CVE-2026-88008 HTTP Request Smuggling in Traefik Sep 10, 2026
- Critical CVE-2026-88007 Improper Authentication in Traefik Sep 10, 2026
- High CVE-2026-88004 Traefik is an open source HTTP reverse proxy and load balancer. From 3.2.0 until 3.7.13… Sep 10, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-48491 is "Traefik SNICheck Wildcard TLSOptions mTLS Bypass (CVE-2026-48491)", rated Critical. It affects Traefik (Traefik); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 10.0 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.36% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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