CVE-2026-23846 identifies a security vulnerability in the tugtainer application by Quenary, a self-hosted tool designed to automate Docker container updates. In versions prior to 1.16.1, the application’s password authentication mechanism transmits user credentials via HTTP GET request query parameters rather than the safer HTTP POST request body. This practice violates secure design principles because URLs, including query strings, are commonly logged by web servers, proxies, and can be stored in browser histories or transmitted in Referer headers when navigating between sites. Consequently, passwords can be inadvertently exposed to unauthorized parties through access to these logs or network intermediaries. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-598, which concerns the use of GET requests with sensitive query strings. The CVSS v3.1 score is 8.1 (high severity), reflecting the vulnerability’s network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, and user interaction needed. The impact primarily affects confidentiality and integrity of authentication credentials, as attackers who obtain these passwords can impersonate users or escalate privileges. The vulnerability does not affect system availability. The issue was publicly disclosed on January 19, 2026, and fixed in tugtainer version 1.16.1. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the risk remains significant due to the sensitive nature of exposed credentials and the widespread use of container orchestration tools in enterprise environments.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk to the confidentiality and integrity of authentication credentials used in container management workflows. Organizations relying on tugtainer for Docker container automation may have passwords exposed in server access logs, browser histories, and proxy logs, increasing the likelihood of credential theft and unauthorized access. Such breaches can lead to lateral movement within networks, compromise of containerized applications, and potential data breaches. Given the critical role of container orchestration in modern IT infrastructure, exploitation could disrupt development pipelines and production environments indirectly by enabling attackers to manipulate container updates or configurations. The exposure of passwords in logs also complicates incident response and forensic investigations, as sensitive data may be widely distributed across systems. European organizations with strict data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR) may face compliance risks if credential leakage leads to unauthorized access or data breaches. The vulnerability’s impact is amplified in sectors with high container adoption such as finance, telecommunications, and cloud service providers.

1. Immediately upgrade tugtainer installations to version 1.16.1 or later, where the vulnerability is patched by moving password transmission to the HTTP request body. 2. Conduct a thorough audit of server access logs, proxy logs, and browser histories to identify any exposed passwords and rotate affected credentials promptly. 3. Restrict access to logs and ensure that logging configurations do not capture sensitive query parameters. 4. Implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of management interfaces and logs to trusted personnel only. 5. Educate users and administrators about the risks of transmitting sensitive data in URLs and encourage secure authentication practices. 6. Monitor network traffic for suspicious activity that could indicate exploitation attempts. 7. Where possible, enforce use of HTTPS to protect query strings in transit, although this does not prevent logging exposure. 8. Integrate security scanning tools to detect insecure use of GET requests with sensitive data in custom or third-party applications.