LIVE · cybersecurity feed
Live wire
ASOS Breach Reveals the Risks in Customer-Facing SaaSUnpatched AhsayCBS flaws exploited to deploy webshells, mine cryptoAI Training Critical as Governance Challenges GrowUS Disrupts Chinese State-Sponsored Hacking ToolsCitrix warns admins to patch new NetScaler RCE flaw immediatelyCisco Patches a Dozen Critical VulnerabilitiesCisco warns of critical flaws allowing Nexus switch takeoverCVE-2026-21589 · Exploitation attempts against critical Atlassian flaw have begun (CVE-2026-21589)Cyber experts call on CISA to create mandatory federal OT rulesGremlin Foresight AI finds system weaknesses and verifies the fixes
cve recordcriticalexploited in the wildzero day3 of 3 cataloguesexploit reported

CVE-2026-81578

PaperCut · NG/MF · PaperCut NG/MF Missing Authentication for Critical Function Vulnerability

Published · Added to CISA KEV
CVSS9.8
Severitycritical
WeaknessCWE-305
EPSS85.6%99.7th percentile
Exploited3 KEV sources
Ransomware useUnknown
Federal fix dueSep 14, 2026

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

patch window

Called exploited 1 days before disclosure.

Measured from the CVE publication date to the earliest of 3 KEV catalogues that list it.

The life of this vulnerability

  1. CVE published
  2. First KEV listing1d
  3. Last KEV listing4d
  4. Last sighting4d

Gaps are compressed to equal steps. The elapsed time is printed under each.

Which catalogues call it exploited

Sources3 of 3
Listings differ by4 d
Strongest claimconfirmed

3 catalogues list it. CIRCL aggregates the others and is shown but not counted.

Public exploitation evidence

9 public reports collected from VulnCheck and CIRCL, first on Aug 28, 2026. Each links to its original source. We have not verified them.

Description

An improper access control vulnerability exists in the web management interface of PaperCut MF and PaperCut NG. Under specific conditions, unauthenticated remote requests targeting administrative functions can trigger backend actions prior to the completion of access validation checks. This allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to modify certain system configurations.

Required action (CISA)

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.

References

← Back to the CVE Tracker

Our coverage of CVE-2026-81578

CVE-2025-66516high

Metasploit Wrap Up: This One Goes to Sixteen!

A recent update to the Metasploit framework has introduced sixteen new modules, including ten exploit modules, five of which address vulnerabilities listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. The new exploits target products from Cisco, PaperCut, SonicWall, JetBrains, and Langflow, among others.

CVE-2026-81578critical

PaperCut NG/MF Flaw Exploited Before CVE Publication

CVE-2026-81578, a critical vulnerability in PaperCut NG/MF, was reported as exploited on or before its official publication date, leaving no patch window for users.

CVE-2026-81578

PaperCut Flaws Exploited in Attacks on U.S. and European Schools

Attackers are actively exploiting two recently disclosed vulnerabilities in PaperCut, an enterprise print management platform, to compromise educational institutions across the United States and Europe. The flaws, identified as CVE-2026-81578 and CVE-2026-82078, allow for credential theft and elevated access.

CVE-2026-81578

Attackers Exploit PaperCut Flaws to Steal Credentials From Schools and Universities

Recent reports indicate that threat actors are actively exploiting newly disclosed vulnerabilities in PaperCut software to steal credentials, primarily targeting the education sector across the U.S. and Europe. The Arctic Wolf Adversary Research Team has observed these attacks, detailing the use of an authentication bypass and remote code execution chain to achieve command execution and…

CVE-2026-82078critical

PaperCut releases second emergency patch for exploited flaws

PaperCut has issued a second emergency security update for its NG and MF print management software, addressing two actively exploited vulnerabilities after researchers identified multiple methods to bypass the initial fixes. The company had previously released an emergency patch for PaperCut NG/MF versions 25 and 26, warning of zero-day exploitation, but initially withheld technical details…