CVE-2026-51894: infiniflow ragflow Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2026-51894 Overview

CVE-2026-51894 is a broken access control vulnerability in Infiniflow RAGFlow version 0.24.0. The flaw resides in the run_mindmap code path, which accepts a caller-selected object or tenant identifier and reaches a data-access operation without validating owner, tenant, workspace, or membership binding. An unauthenticated network-based attacker can supply arbitrary identifiers to retrieve or manipulate data belonging to other tenants. The weakness is classified under CWE-284 (Improper Access Control). The vulnerability was published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) on 2026-10-01 and last modified on 2026-10-05.

Critical Impact
Attackers can read and modify data across tenant boundaries by submitting crafted identifiers to the run_mindmap endpoint without authentication.

Affected Products

Infiniflow RAGFlow 0.24.0
Deployments exposing the run_mindmap endpoint to untrusted networks
Multi-tenant RAGFlow installations sharing a single data backend

Discovery Timeline

2026-10-01 - CVE-2026-51894 published to NVD
2026-10-05 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-51894

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists in the run_mindmap request handler within RAGFlow 0.24.0. The handler accepts an object identifier or tenant identifier directly from the caller and uses that value to access the underlying data store. The server does not enforce a binding between the authenticated principal and the referenced object. This qualifies as an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) pattern. An attacker who can reach the endpoint can iterate or guess identifiers to access mindmap data belonging to arbitrary tenants or users.

Because RAGFlow is a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) platform, mindmap and knowledge objects can contain embedded documents, prompt context, and tenant-specific intellectual property. Cross-tenant exposure of these objects undermines the isolation guarantees expected in multi-tenant AI pipelines.

Root Cause

The root cause is a missing authorization check at the data-access boundary. The code path trusts the identifier provided in the request and performs the lookup without verifying that the identifier resolves to an object owned by, or shared with, the calling principal. No tenant scoping, workspace filter, or membership query is applied before the operation executes.

Attack Vector

Exploitation is performed over the network against an exposed RAGFlow instance. The attacker submits a request to the run_mindmap path and supplies a target object or tenant identifier. The server returns or processes the referenced object as if the caller were authorized. No user interaction is required. A proof-of-concept is referenced in the GitHub Gist PoC Code.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-51894

Indicators of Compromise

Repeated requests to the run_mindmap endpoint containing varying tenant or object identifiers from a single source IP
Access logs showing successful run_mindmap responses for identifiers that do not belong to the authenticated session
Enumeration patterns where identifier values are sequentially iterated
Unexpected egress of mindmap or knowledge-base content shortly after run_mindmap requests

Detection Strategies

Correlate authenticated session identity against the tenant or object identifier passed to run_mindmap and alert on mismatches
Baseline normal per-user request rates against the endpoint and flag outliers consistent with identifier enumeration
Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules that inspect run_mindmap request bodies for identifier scanning patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest RAGFlow application logs into a centralized logging platform and retain full request bodies for the run_mindmap route
Monitor database query logs for lookups where the queried tenant identifier differs from the session tenant
Alert on 200-series responses to run_mindmap requests originating from unauthenticated or newly observed sources

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-51894

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to RAGFlow 0.24.0 instances using firewall rules or a reverse proxy allowlist until a patch is applied
Require authentication at the proxy layer for all RAGFlow routes, including run_mindmap
Audit application logs for prior exploitation attempts referencing identifiers outside the caller's tenant
Rotate credentials and API tokens associated with data potentially exposed through the endpoint

Patch Information

No vendor patch URL is listed in the NVD entry at the time of publication. Monitor the Infiniflow RAGFlow repository for a fixed release above version 0.24.0 and apply it as soon as it becomes available. Review the GitHub Gist PoC Code to validate that any applied fix enforces tenant and ownership checks on the run_mindmap path.

Workarounds

Place RAGFlow behind an authenticating reverse proxy that validates session-to-tenant binding before forwarding run_mindmap requests
Disable the run_mindmap route via proxy rules if the feature is not required in your deployment
Segment multi-tenant RAGFlow deployments into per-tenant instances to limit cross-tenant data exposure
Implement application-layer authorization middleware that rejects requests where the identifier does not resolve to the caller's tenant

bash

# Configuration example: NGINX allowlist and auth enforcement for run_mindmap
location /v1/run_mindmap {
    auth_request /auth_validate;
    allow 10.0.0.0/8;
    deny all;
    proxy_pass http://ragflow_backend;
}