CVE-2026-22794 is a critical security vulnerability classified under CWE-346 (Origin Validation Error) affecting the Appsmith platform, a tool used to build admin panels, internal tools, and dashboards. In versions prior to 1.93, the Appsmith server improperly trusts the Origin header from HTTP requests when generating password reset and email verification links. Specifically, the Origin header value is used as the base URL in these email links without any validation or sanitization. This design flaw allows an attacker who can manipulate the Origin header—such as through a crafted request or a man-in-the-middle scenario—to generate password reset or verification emails containing links that point to an attacker-controlled domain. When a user clicks such a link, the authentication tokens embedded in the URL are exposed to the attacker’s domain, enabling them to hijack user accounts. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality by exposing sensitive tokens, integrity by allowing unauthorized account changes, and availability by potentially locking out legitimate users. Exploitation requires no authentication but does require the victim to interact with the malicious email link. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.7, indicating critical severity. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the risk is significant due to the nature of the flaw and the sensitive functionality involved. The issue is resolved in Appsmith version 1.93 by implementing proper validation of the Origin header before using it in security-sensitive contexts such as email link generation.

For European organizations using Appsmith versions prior to 1.93, this vulnerability poses a severe risk to the security of internal tools and dashboards. Attackers exploiting this flaw can redirect password reset and email verification links to malicious domains, leading to exposure of authentication tokens and potential account takeover. This can result in unauthorized access to sensitive internal data, disruption of business operations, and potential compliance violations under GDPR due to unauthorized data access. The impact extends to confidentiality breaches, integrity violations through unauthorized account modifications, and availability issues if accounts are locked or misused. Organizations relying on Appsmith for critical internal applications are particularly vulnerable, as compromised accounts could lead to lateral movement within corporate networks. The ease of exploitation (no authentication required) and the high severity score underscore the urgency for remediation. Additionally, phishing campaigns leveraging this vulnerability could target European users, increasing the risk of widespread compromise.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should immediately upgrade all Appsmith instances to version 1.93 or later, where the Origin validation flaw is fixed. Until upgrades can be completed, organizations should implement strict input validation and sanitization on the Origin header at the network or application layer, rejecting requests with suspicious or untrusted Origin values. Employing Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block anomalous Origin headers can provide temporary protection. Additionally, organizations should audit email templates and link generation logic to ensure no untrusted user input is used directly. User awareness training to recognize phishing attempts involving password reset or verification emails is also recommended. Monitoring logs for unusual password reset requests or Origin header anomalies can help detect exploitation attempts. Finally, enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA) on Appsmith accounts can reduce the impact of compromised credentials.