CVE-2026-48745 in traccar-client
Summary
by MITRE • 06/17/2026
Traccar Client is a GPS tracking mobile app for sending location updates to private servers using the open-source Traccar platform. In versions 9.7.19 and below, a single crafted deep link can silently hijack all GPS tracking parameters and redirect telemetry to an attacker-controlled server. The app registers a custom org.traccar.client://config deep-link scheme that silently writes attacker-supplied parameters (server URL, device ID, accuracy, distance, and interval) into the app's persistent configuration with no confirmation, notification, or visual indication. A single crafted link delivered via SMS, email, a webpage, or any installed app can therefore reconfigure the app the moment the victim taps it, with no special permissions required. As a result, an attacker can covertly redirect all of the victim's GPS telemetry to their own server at maximum precision and frequency, and the change persists across restarts. This gives the attacker continuous, real-time tracking of the victim's location. This issue has been fixed in version 9.7.20.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/17/2026
The Traccar Client vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in mobile application design that exploits deep linking mechanisms to achieve unauthorized configuration changes without user consent or awareness. This vulnerability affects versions 9.7.19 and below of the GPS tracking application that communicates with open-source Traccar platform servers. The flaw resides in the application's improper handling of custom URI schemes that are registered for configuration purposes, specifically the org.traccar.client://config deep link scheme that operates outside normal application security boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows attackers to craft malicious deep links that can silently overwrite all GPS tracking parameters within the application's persistent storage. When a victim interacts with a malicious link, the application immediately writes attacker-controlled values including server URL, device ID, accuracy settings, distance thresholds, and update intervals directly into the configuration database without any user interaction, confirmation prompts, or visual feedback mechanisms. This behavior violates fundamental security principles of user consent and transparent application operation, creating a covert channel for unauthorized data redirection.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple configuration changes to enable comprehensive surveillance capabilities for threat actors. Once the malicious configuration is applied, all subsequent GPS telemetry data is automatically redirected to the attacker-controlled server with maximum precision and frequency settings, effectively transforming the victim's device into an unauthorized tracking device. The persistence of these changes across application restarts means that the redirection remains active even after the victim closes and reopens the application, creating a continuous monitoring capability that operates completely outside the victim's awareness or control. This vulnerability enables real-time location tracking with complete accuracy and frequency settings, providing attackers with detailed movement patterns and behavioral analysis capabilities.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with several common weakness enumerations including CWE-284 for improper access control and CWE-352 for cross-site request forgery, though specifically manifesting in mobile application context. From the ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566 for malicious file delivery and T1071 for application layer protocol usage, while also demonstrating characteristics of T1547 for persistence through application configuration modification. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of insufficient input validation and improper privilege management in mobile application security architecture, where the application fails to implement proper authentication checks or user confirmation mechanisms for critical configuration changes.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require both immediate application updates and user education regarding deep link security. The fix implemented in version 9.7.20 addresses the core issue by introducing proper user confirmation dialogs and access control checks for configuration changes, requiring explicit user interaction before applying any external configuration parameters. Organizations should also implement network-level monitoring to detect unusual traffic patterns that might indicate unauthorized redirection to external servers. Users should be educated about the risks of clicking unknown links and the importance of verifying application sources before installation. Additionally, mobile device management solutions should consider implementing application sandboxing and network access controls to prevent unauthorized data redirection even if such vulnerabilities are present in older application versions. The vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of secure configuration management and user consent mechanisms in mobile applications, particularly those handling sensitive location data.