CVE-2026-61833: zot: Bearer authentication maps DELETE to push scope, allowing unauthorized deletion

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2026-61833 is a high (CVSS 8.1) Improper Authorization vulnerability in project-zot zot. EPSS estimates a 0.51% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 42.3% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 18-09-2026
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 23-09-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

zot is a container image and artifact registry based on the Open Container Initiative Distribution Specification. Prior to 2.1.18, the bearer authentication handler in pkg/api/authn.go maps every HTTP method other than GET and HEAD to the push action, so DELETE requests are not checked for the distinct delete permission. Bearer-authenticated requests also bypass the fine-grained DistSpecAuthzHandler path in pkg/api/authz.go, while DeleteManifest and DeleteBlob perform no independent delete-permission check. A remote attacker with a bearer token limited to pull and push actions can therefore delete manifests and blobs within the token's repository scope, making images unavailable and allowing repository history to be altered despite the token lacking delete authorization. This issue is fixed in version 2.1.18.

• CWE-285Improper AuthorizationThe product does not perform or incorrectly performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.