CVE-2026-107206 in LMCache
Summary
by MITRE • 10/07/2026
LMCache through 0.5.5 contains a missing authentication vulnerability in the multiprocess mode HTTP server that allows remote unauthenticated attackers to access management endpoints listening on all interfaces by default. Attackers can read environment credentials via GET /env and configuration via GET /config, clear caches, delete cache objects, and modify tenant quotas to evict other tenants' cached data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2026
The vulnerability identified in LMCache versions through 0.5.5 represents a critical security flaw rooted in the misconfiguration of its multiprocess mode HTTP server. This issue stems from a missing authentication mechanism on management endpoints that are, by default, bound to all network interfaces rather than being restricted to localhost or specific trusted networks. Consequently, any remote attacker with network connectivity to the host running LMCache can interact directly with these administrative functions without providing valid credentials. The core technical flaw is an authorization bypass where the application fails to enforce access controls on sensitive management routes, treating them as publicly accessible resources despite their potential for significant system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to the breadth of actions available through the exposed endpoints. Attackers can exploit GET requests to /env and /config to exfiltrate sensitive environment variables and configuration data. This often includes database connection strings, API keys, cloud provider credentials, and other secrets that are critical for maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of the associated infrastructure. Beyond information disclosure, the vulnerability allows for active disruption of service through cache manipulation. An attacker can clear all cached data or selectively delete specific cache objects, leading to a denial of service by forcing downstream systems to recompute results or fetch fresh data from origin sources, thereby increasing latency and resource consumption.
Furthermore, the ability to modify tenant quotas introduces a sophisticated vector for multi-tenant environment abuse. By altering quota limits, an attacker can artificially inflate their own allocation while reducing that of legitimate tenants. This effectively evicts other users' cached content, causing service degradation or complete unavailability for those victims without directly crashing the server. This behavior aligns with resource exhaustion attacks and tenant isolation failures, allowing a single compromised instance to impact multiple stakeholders within a shared infrastructure. The combination of credential theft and active denial-of-service capabilities makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous in production environments where LMCache is deployed as part of a larger application stack.
From a classification perspective, this issue maps directly to CWE-287, which describes Improper Authentication, specifically the failure to verify identity before granting access to sensitive functions. It also relates to CWE-359, Exposure of Private Information Through URLs or Headers, given the exposure of environment variables and configuration details via standard HTTP GET requests. In terms of adversarial tactics, this vulnerability facilitates initial reconnaissance and privilege escalation within the application layer as defined by MITRE ATT&CK techniques T1087 (Account Discovery) for retrieving credentials and T1499 (Endpoint Denial of Service) or T1529 (System Shutdown/Reboot via cache clearing) depending on the specific exploitation path. The lack of network-level restrictions further exacerbates the risk, as it removes a common layer of defense that might otherwise limit exposure to internal networks only.
Mitigation strategies must address both the immediate technical flaw and broader architectural security practices. The most effective remediation is to upgrade LMCache to version 0.5.6 or later where this authentication gap has been addressed by developers. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, administrators should implement network-level controls such as firewall rules or reverse proxy configurations to restrict access to the management port exclusively from trusted IP addresses or localhost. Additionally, enabling HTTP Basic Authentication or integrating with an identity provider for these endpoints would restore proper authorization checks. It is also critical to audit configuration files and environment variables stored within cache systems to ensure that high-value secrets are not cached in plaintext unless absolutely necessary, thereby reducing the blast radius of any future disclosure vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments should include verification that management interfaces are never exposed on public-facing network adapters by default.