CVE-2026-18577: N-able N-central Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel Vulnerability
N-able N-central contains an authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel allows for authentication bypass and account takeover in N-central. This vulnerability is the result of an incomplete patch for CVE-2026-18556.
| Vendor | N-able |
|---|---|
| Product | N-central |
| Date added to KEV | 2026-08-03 |
| Due date (BOD 22-01) | 2026-08-06 |
| Known ransomware campaign use | Unknown |
| CWE | CWE-288 |
| Required action | Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines. |
What to do
- Identify every instance of N-able N-central in your environment (asset inventory, EDR, vulnerability scanner).
- Apply CISA's required action: Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.
- Federal civilian agencies must act by 2026-08-06 under BOD 22-01; other organizations can use the same date as a target.
- Check the vendor advisory and NVD entry linked below for affected versions, then record the fix in your change log.
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Sources
- NVD entry for CVE-2026-18577 (severity scores, if any, live there)
- CISA KEV catalog entry
- https://documentation.n-able.com/N-central/Release_Notes/GA/Content/N-central_2026.3_HF1_Release_Notes.htm
- https://status.n-able.com/2026/08/02/n-central-2026-3-hotfix-1-mitigation-for-cve-2026-18577/
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-implementation-guidance-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-18577