CVE-2026-42208
CriticalExploitedPublic exploitLiteLLM has SQL Injection in Proxy API key verification
Published Apr 24, 2026 · Updated Oct 5, 2026 · Also known as GHSA-r75f-5x8p-qvmc, PYSEC-2026-391
Key Facts
Patch immediately- CVE-2026-42208 is a critical-severity vulnerability (CVSS 9.3 v4) affecting Litellm, airflow-3 (chainguard), litellm-1.83 (minimos).
- It is exploited in the wild, listed in CISA KEV, Industry KEV feed, CIRCL KEV, ENISA EUVD since Apr 27, 2026. Public exploit code is available.
- EPSS estimates a 5.8% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- Fixed versions are available, including airflow-3 3.2.2-r7, airflow-3 3.3.1-r0, Litellm 1.83.10.0-r0.
- Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because it is listed as exploited in the wild.
CVSS v4
9.3
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
EPSS (30-day exploit likelihood)
5.8%
Higher than 93.0% of all scored CVEs
Exploited in the wild
Yes
4 catalog listings
Public exploit code
Available
Proof-of-concept or weaponized module
Get the full CVE-2026-42208 brief as a PDF
Every affected product and fixed release, exploitation status and a first 24 hours response checklist, emailed within minutes.
Description
LiteLLM is a proxy server (AI Gateway) to call LLM APIs in OpenAI (or native) format. From version 1.81.16 to before version 1.83.7, a database query used during proxy API key checks mixed the caller-supplied key value into the query text instead of passing it as a separate parameter. An unauthenticated attacker could send a specially crafted Authorization header to any LLM API route (for example POST /chat/completions) and reach this query through the proxy's error-handling path. An attacker could read data from the proxy's database and may be able to modify it, leading to unauthorised access to the proxy and the credentials it manages. This issue has been patched in version 1.83.7.
Known-Exploited Catalog Listings
| Catalog | Added | Remediation due | Ransomware use |
|---|---|---|---|
| CISA KEV | May 8, 2026 | May 11, 2026 | Not reported |
| Industry KEV feed | Apr 27, 2026 | May 11, 2026 | Not reported |
| CIRCL KEV | May 8, 2026 | May 11, 2026 | Not reported |
| ENISA EUVD | May 8, 2026 | n/a | Not reported |
Required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Affected Products
8 affected entries in total| Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| LitellmLitellm | >= 1.81.16, >= >= 1.81.16, < 1.83.7 | 1.83.7 |
| airflow-3chainguard | See advisory | 3.2.2-r7 |
| litellm-1.83minimos | See advisory | 1.83.10-r0 |
Patched Releases
airflow-3
3.2.2-r7, 3.3.1-r0
Litellm
1.83.10.0-r0, 1.83.7
litellm-1.83
1.83.10-r0
Timeline
Publicly disclosed
Apr 24, 2026
Added to Industry KEV feed
Apr 27, 2026
Added to CISA KEV
May 8, 2026
Added to CIRCL KEV
May 8, 2026
Added to ENISA EUVD
May 8, 2026
Last updated
Oct 5, 2026
Weakness Type
- CWE-89 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
References
- advisoryGHSA advisory
- advisoryhttps://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/42xxx/CVE-2026-42208.json
- advisoryhttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42208
- exploitVulnCheck exploitation report
- exploitVulnCheck exploitation report
FAQ
Common Questions.
LiteLLM is a proxy server (AI Gateway) to call LLM APIs in OpenAI (or native) format.
Affected: Litellm versions >= 1.81.16, >= >= 1.81.16, < 1.83.7; airflow-3 (chainguard); litellm-1.83 (minimos). The full list is in the CVE brief.
It is exploited in the wild, listed in CISA KEV, Industry KEV feed, CIRCL KEV, ENISA EUVD since Apr 27, 2026.
Yes. It was added on May 8, 2026 with a federal remediation due date of May 11, 2026.
Public exploit code is available.
Fixed versions are available, including airflow-3 3.2.2-r7, airflow-3 3.3.1-r0, Litellm 1.83.10.0-r0.
Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because it is listed as exploited in the wild.
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