CVE-2025-40536

SolarWinds Web Help Desk: Security Control Bypass

As of , CVE-2025-40536 in SolarWinds Web Help Desk is on CISA's list of exploited vulnerabilities: CISA listed it on . Our patch-first group: Patch this week.

Exploited
Yes: CISA listed it on 12 February 2026
US federal deadline
15 February 20263 days after CISA listed it. US federal civilian agencies must fix it by then.
Used in ransomware campaigns
Not known to CISA
EPSS score
0.74Higher than 99% of the CVEs EPSS scores. EPSS estimates the chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days.
Public exploit
1 Metasploit module
Fix
Vendor advice: documentation.solarwinds.com and www.solarwinds.comLinks below, from CISA's entry.

What CISA says to do

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

CISA's required action

What the flaw is

SolarWinds Web Help Desk contains a security control bypass vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated attacker to gain access to certain restricted functionality.

CISA's description

SolarWinds Web Help Desk was found to be susceptible to a security control bypass vulnerability that if exploited, could allow an unauthenticated attacker to gain access to certain restricted functionality.

The CVE record's description, from SolarWinds

CVE published
28 January 2026
Assigned by
SolarWinds
CVSS
8.1 High (CVSS 3.1, from the CNA)
CWE-693
Protection Mechanism Failure
CISA SSVC, exploitation
active
CISA SSVC, automatable
no
CISA SSVC, technical impact
total

Timeline

  1. The CVE record was published.
  2. CISA added it to its list of exploited vulnerabilities.
  3. The US federal deadline to fix it.

Public exploits

Facts from Metasploit's module list and Exploit-DB's index; we never copy exploit code.

  • Metasploit: SolarWinds Web Help Desk unauthenticated RCEexploit module, rank great

Web Help Desk: other exploited entries

VulnerabilityProductOur groupListedDeadlineEPSS
CVE-2025-26399Deserialization of Untrusted DataSolarWinds Web Help DeskPatch nowRansomware use, listed within a year0.90
CVE-2025-40551Deserialization of Untrusted DataSolarWinds Web Help DeskPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.840.84
CVE-2024-28987Hardcoded CredentialSolarWinds Web Help DeskPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.930.93
CVE-2024-28986Deserialization of Untrusted DataSolarWinds Web Help DeskPatch this weekEPSS 0.850.85

Read further