CVE-2026-85960 in MarkLogic Server
Summary
by MITRE • 10/12/2026
Progress MarkLogic Server 12.x releases before 12.1.0 and 11.x releases before 11.3.7 use predictable CSRF tokens in Query Console. A remote attacker who lures an authenticated Query Console user to a malicious page could submit unauthorized requests and execute server-side code with the victim's permissions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/13/2026
The vulnerability identified in Progress MarkLogic Server versions prior to 12.1.0 for the 12.x branch and before 11.3.7 for the 11.x branch centers on a critical failure in session management within the Query Console interface. Specifically, the system employs Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) tokens that are generated using predictable algorithms rather than cryptographically secure random sources. This design flaw allows an attacker to anticipate or reconstruct valid CSRF tokens based on known patterns such as sequential numbering, timestamps with low entropy, or other deterministic factors inherent in the token generation logic. The presence of these weak tokens undermines the fundamental security mechanism designed to prevent unauthorized state-changing requests from being executed by authenticated users who have not explicitly intended to perform those actions.
From a technical perspective, this flaw constitutes an implementation error where the server fails to ensure that each CSRF token is unique and unpredictable for every user session. In standard secure implementations, tokens should be generated using a cryptographically strong pseudo-random number generator (CSPRNG) with sufficient entropy to prevent prediction. Instead, MarkLogic Server’s Query Console utilized a method that allowed external parties to derive valid tokens without access to the victim's active session cookies or internal server state. This predictability effectively neutralizes the CSRF protection layer, rendering it useless against targeted attacks where an attacker can control the context in which the token is used.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for remote code execution and privilege escalation. An adversary who lures a legitimate user with administrative or elevated privileges into visiting a malicious webpage containing crafted requests can exploit these predictable tokens to submit unauthorized commands to the MarkLogic Server. Because the server validates the request against the predicted token, it accepts the forged request as if it originated from the authenticated user's session. This allows the attacker to execute arbitrary queries and scripts within the context of the victim’s permissions, potentially leading to data exfiltration, modification or destruction of stored documents, configuration changes that compromise system integrity, or full server takeover depending on the level of access held by the targeted account.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which describes Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF), and more specifically highlights issues related to insufficient randomness in security-critical values as categorized under CWE-330: Use of Insufficiently Random Values. Furthermore, from an adversary behavior perspective, this technique maps to the ATT&CK framework’s T1566.002 component, which covers Spearphishing Link attacks used to deliver malicious content that exploits such browser-based vulnerabilities. The attack vector relies heavily on social engineering elements where trust is abused to trigger the execution of forged requests within a trusted application context.
To mitigate this risk, organizations running affected versions of MarkLogic Server must immediately apply the vendor-provided patches available in version 12.1.0 and later for the 12.x branch, or version 11.3.7 and later for the 11.x branch. These updates correct the underlying token generation logic to ensure that CSRF tokens are cryptographically random and unique per session. In addition to patching, administrators should enforce strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers where applicable to limit script execution contexts and monitor Query Console logs for unusual patterns of request submission that may indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security audits focusing on authentication mechanisms and token management practices across all web-facing components are also recommended to prevent similar weaknesses in other parts of the infrastructure.