CVE-2026-26096 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource) affecting Owl opds version 2.2.0.4. The core issue arises from improper permission settings on critical resources within the application, which enables an attacker with limited privileges to perform unauthorized file manipulations through specially crafted network requests. The vulnerability does not require user interaction or authentication but does require local access (AV:L), which implies the attacker must have some level of access to the system or network. The CVSS 4.0 score of 8.5 reflects a high severity due to the significant impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (all rated high), combined with low attack complexity and no need for user interaction. The vulnerability could allow attackers to alter, delete, or replace files critical to the application’s operation or data integrity, potentially leading to data breaches, service disruption, or further compromise of the system. No patches or fixes have been published yet, and no known exploits have been detected in the wild. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed on February 20, 2026, with the CVE reserved earlier that month. Given the nature of the flaw, it is likely to affect organizations relying on Owl opds 2.2.0.4 for document or data management, especially those with multi-user environments where permission boundaries are critical.

The vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations using Owl opds 2.2.0.4, as it allows attackers with limited privileges to manipulate files, potentially leading to unauthorized data modification, deletion, or insertion of malicious files. This can compromise data confidentiality and integrity, disrupt service availability, and facilitate further attacks such as privilege escalation or persistent backdoors. The requirement for local access limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk, especially in environments with many users or weak internal access controls. Industries relying on Owl opds for document distribution or management could face operational disruptions and data loss. The absence of patches increases exposure time, and the lack of known exploits does not preclude future active exploitation. Organizations worldwide that deploy this software in critical infrastructure, government, education, or enterprise environments are at risk of targeted attacks or insider threats leveraging this vulnerability.

1. Immediately audit and tighten permission settings on all critical resources within Owl opds installations to ensure the principle of least privilege is enforced. 2. Restrict local access to systems running Owl opds to trusted users only, employing strong authentication and access controls. 3. Implement network segmentation to limit exposure of Owl opds servers and reduce the attack surface for local attackers. 4. Monitor file system changes and network requests for unusual or unauthorized activity indicative of exploitation attempts. 5. Employ host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS) to detect anomalous file manipulations. 6. Prepare for patch deployment by closely monitoring Owl vendor announcements and CVE updates. 7. Conduct regular security training for administrators and users to recognize and report suspicious behavior. 8. Consider deploying application-layer firewalls or proxies that can filter and validate network requests to Owl opds. 9. Maintain comprehensive backups of critical data to enable recovery in case of successful exploitation. 10. Review and update incident response plans to include scenarios involving local privilege misuse and file manipulation attacks.