Nginx UI is a web user interface for the Nginx web server. From version 2.0.0 to before version 2.3.8, an unauthenticated network attacker can claim the initial administrator account on a fresh nginx-ui instance during the first-run setup window. The public /api/install endpoint is reachable without authentication, and the request-encryption flow only protects payload confidentiality in transit; it does not authenticate who is allowed to perform installation. A remote attacker who reaches the service before the legitimate operator can set the admin email, username, and password, causing permanent initial-instance takeover. This issue has been patched in version 2.3.8.
{
"cna_assigner": "GitHub_M",
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-306"
],
"osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/42xxx/CVE-2026-42221.json"
}{
"extracted_events": [
{
"range": [
{
"introduced": "2.0.0"
},
{
"fixed": "2.3.8"
}
],
"source": "AFFECTED_FIELD",
"strategy": "StringRangeExpression"
},
{
"original_tag": "v2.3.8",
"range": [
{
"fixed": "7864e378f5cf8013c4df38c15e57480f5c2db1d7"
}
],
"source": "REFERENCES_TAG"
},
{
"cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:nginxui:nginx_ui:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"range": [
{
"introduced": "2.0.0"
},
{
"fixed": "2.3.8"
}
],
"source": "CPE_RANGE"
}
]
}