What is CVE-2026-42208?

CVE-2026-42208 is LiteLLM: SQL injection in Proxy API key verification. The supplied enrichment data classifies it as Injection mapped to CWE-89 SQL Injection.

Which versions are affected?

Affected product and version evidence is listed in the product table above. Current public advisories should be checked for exact version scope before patch targeting is finalized.

Is there active exploitation?

Yes: CISA KEV signal present. If exploitation is not confirmed from current sources, teams should document that status and continue monitoring KEV, vendor, and telemetry updates.

Is there a public exploit?

35 public PoC repositories reported; 5 marked weaponized in current dataset. Public exploit or PoC availability should raise triage priority, especially for exposed or business-critical systems.

How can defenders detect it?

Start with web/proxy/WAF logs, application logs, network IDS/IPS, database audit logs where available. Look for vulnerability-class behavior, product errors, suspicious authentication events, exploit probes, and abnormal process activity based only on evidence that applies to the affected product.

How should teams prioritize it?

Prioritize CVE-2026-42208 using CVSS 9.8, EPSS 6%, KEV status, public PoC status, and asset exposure. Internet-facing, privileged, or business-critical deployments should be handled first.

Are workarounds available?

The supplied mitigation guidance says to apply vendor patches and restrict external exposure until fixed. Fixed-version evidence is listed in the mitigation section above.

Which threat actors are linked publicly?

No public threat actor linkage is confirmed from current sources. Do not attribute exploitation to a threat actor unless the source evidence explicitly supports that linkage.

What should be done in the next 24 hours?

Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations. Treat as emergency remediation because CISA KEV status is present. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class. Open remediation tickets with affected assets, owners, evidence status, and detection coverage so decisions are traceable.

CISA KEVcriticalInjectionpublic exploit

CVE-2026-42208

CVE-2026-42208 — LiteLLM: SQL injection in Proxy API key verification

Q: Is it in CISA KEV?

Yes. The supplied enrichment data lists CVE-2026-42208 in CISA KEV with 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.. KEV status should be monitored because it can change after initial disclosure or after exploitation becomes publicly confirmed.

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.

Published May 8, 2026Updated Jul 15, 2026Sources: NVD, BerriAI (CNA), CISA, FIRST EPSS, GitHub, Red Hat (VEX), SOCRadar CTI

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the scoring sources call it.

Exploitation

Confirmed

CISA KEV, listed May 8, 2026

EPSS

ahead of 93% of scored CVEs

Affects

BerriAI

litellm

CVSS base

9.8

critical · 2 sources

CISA SSVC assessment

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses · SSVC 2.0.3. A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

CISA

Exploitation

Active

none · proof-of-concept · active

Automatable

Yes

can an attacker script all four kill-chain steps

Technical impact

Total

partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

The vendor's own words where we have them.

Upgrade litellm to a fixed release. Apply vendor patches per advisory and restrict external exposure of the affected component until patched.

CISA 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.

Federal deadline May 11, 2026 — passed 146 days ago

Red Hat VEX · CVE-2026-42208

fixed0affected0not affected4

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record's own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found.

Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations.
Treat as emergency remediation because CISA KEV status is present.
Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and version as the advisories word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status
BerriAI	litellm	>= 1.81.16, < 1.83.7	Vulnerable

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Availability

High

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Scope

Unchanged

Attack Complexity

Low

Attack Vector

Network

Privileges Req

None

User Interaction

None

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Source
9.8	CVSS 3.1	critical	3.9	5.9	NVD, CNA, Red Hat (VEX)
9.3	CVSS 4.0	critical	—	—	BerriAI (CNA)

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

What this weakness leads to

MITRE's own consequences and mitigations for the weakness class — the authority's wording, not guidance derived from the CVSS vector.

MITRE

CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')

Read Application Data
Bypass Protection Mechanism
Modify Application Data

Mitigation: Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, consider using persistence layers such as Hibernate or Enterprise Java Beans, which can provide significant protection against SQL injection if used properly.

Weakness & attack patterns

CWE-89SQL Injection

Attack patterns reported against this CVE. The ATT&CK techniques below are inferred from its weakness class.

CAPEC-470 · Expanding Control over the Operating System from the DatabaseCAPEC-7 · Blind SQL InjectionCAPEC-109 · Object Relational Mapping InjectionCAPEC-110 · SQL Injection through SOAP Parameter TamperingCAPEC-108 · Command Line Execution through SQL InjectionCAPEC-66 · SQL Injection

CISA KEV details

CISA lists a CVE here once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.

CISAThat month →

Listed

May 8, 2026

Federal deadline

May 11, 2026

passed 146 days ago

Ransomware use

Unknown

CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a date to argue against.

Public exploit

Capability, not use: code existing is a different claim from anyone running it.

Repositories

5 of the 5 sampled are weaponized

Exploit entries

Exploit-DB and CTI exploit indexes

Social mentions

Posts naming this CVE. Attention, not evidence of exploitation — it spikes on disclosure and decays whether or not anything is exploited.

35 more posts on this CVEShowing 5 of 40 · Who is discussing this CVE, and how loudlyUnlock free

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not rules we have tested.

Search application, proxy, and WAF logs for requests touching /chat/completions).
Prioritize edge telemetry for network-reachable litellm.
Monitor for scanner or exploit-pattern traffic after 35 public PoC repositories were reported.

web/proxy/WAF logsapplication logsnetwork IDS/IPSdatabase audit logs

Groups associated with this CVE

Groups reported in connection with this vulnerability. A reported association, not a confirmed observation of that group using it — and not scoped to any sector or campaign.

ip38.181.81.16461
AbuseIPDB Hourly Update · Dec 12, 2025
ip115.171.80.25373
CINSscore · May 11, 2026
ip212.107.30.6963
AbuseIPDB Hourly Update · Mar 12, 2025
ip103.142.140.24665
CleanTalk-Firehol · Jul 11, 2025
ip103.142.140.23866
Public Proxy Feed · Dec 17, 2021

1 more indicators on this CVEShowing 5 of 6 · Hashes, addresses and domains from a live threat exchangeUnlock free

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first — with the readings a source repeats on a schedule counted underneath rather than listed.

2026
Added · CVSS 3.1 9.8 (AV:N)
Jul 15, 2026 · NVD
Added to CISA KEV catalog
May 8, 2026 · CISA
Initial · CVE published
May 8, 2026 · NVD

Source activity

Readings a source repeats on a schedule, counted rather than listed.

21×TweetsJun 8, 2026 – Jul 29, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
14×SVRS was changedJun 8, 2026 – Jul 5, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
2×CVE modified by MITRE: CVSS metrics updated.Jun 27, 2026 – Jun 29, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
1×1 time mentioned on 1 Telegram channelJun 27, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
1×Github_Repos · Github repository created, yendpoint/CVE-2026-42208-LABJun 18, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI

References

8 on the record

github.com/BerriAI/litellm/releases/tag/v1.83.7-stable
Product, Release Notes, NIST, Mitre
github.com/BerriAI/litellm/security/advisories/GHSA-r75f-5x8p-qvmc
Mitigation, Patch, Vendor Advisory, NIST, Mitre
access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-42208
Third Party Advisory, NIST
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2463965
Mitigation, Third Party Advisory, NIST
security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-42208.json
Third Party Advisory, NIST
www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-42208
US Government Resource, NIST
www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-42208
Vendor Advisory
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42208
NVD, Vendor Advisory

Coverage

18 stories from the feeds we poll

13 more reports on this CVEShowing 5 of 18 · Vendor research and security press coverageUnlock free

Elsewhere on this site

BerriAIevery CVE for this vendor
May 2026what else CISA listed
Injectionsame class
CWE-89other pages naming this weakness

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

Only the 5 indicator(s) reported for this CVE are available; no packet-level or host-forensic artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record1

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-42208 is LiteLLM: SQL injection in Proxy API key verification, a critical vulnerability affecting litellm from BerriAI. The current evidence lists it in CISA KEV, and the exploit status is: Yes: CISA KEV signal present. Public exploit evidence is: 35 public PoC repositories reported; 5 marked weaponized in current dataset. The affected-version evidence is listed in the key facts and affected products tables. Defenders should first verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run those versions, then apply vendor patches or mitigations, restrict reachable attack surface, and preserve logs for detection review. CVSS 9.8 describes technical severity, while EPSS 6% helps estimate near-term exploit likelihood; neither replaces asset context. Unknown fields should remain explicit in tickets, and threat actor, IOC, victimology, or payload claims should not be added unless a cited source supports them. Monitor CISA KEV, vendor advisories, NVD changes, public PoC repositories, and internal telemetry for update triggers.