CVE-2026-42208
CVE-2026-42208 is a security flaw in BerriAI LiteLLM, a tool for building AI apps. Attackers can read or change the database behind BerriAI LiteLLM from anywhere, without logging in. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 8 May 2026.[1]
BerriAI LiteLLM is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. BerriAI has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it an SQL injection in BerriAI LiteLLM. In its words: “BerriAI LiteLLM contains a SQL injection vulnerability that allows an attacker to read data from the proxy's database and potentially modify it, leading to unauthorized access to the proxy and the credentials it manages.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “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.”[2]
The underlying weakness is SQL injection (CWE-89), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.
It scores 9.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it critical, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; BerriAI’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as BerriAI LiteLLM.
Most families won’t have BerriAI LiteLLM; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 8 May 2026, within a day of it being made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 11 May 2026 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 89%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as automatable: attackers can run it against many targets at once.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
BerriAI has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s 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.”[1]
- Check whether you use it.BerriAI LiteLLM is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
- Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 11 May 2026 to fix it.
- If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.
You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 9.8.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 89%.[4] |
See also
Other BerriAI LiteLLM flaws
- CVE-2026-59822: improper authentication ·
- CVE-2026-42271: command injection ·
Other SQL injection flaws
- CVE-2026-114625, Arista VeloCloud Orchestrator: SQL injection ·
- CVE-2026-76461, Cisco Secure Email Gateway: SQL injection ·
- CVE-2026-9586, Sangoma Switchvox: SQL injection ·
- CVE-2026-72898, Metabase: SQL injection ·
- CVE-2026-60137, WordPress Core: SQL injection ·
Every BerriAI flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in May 2026
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “BerriAI LiteLLM SQL Injection Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 8 May 2026.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2026-42208 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 8 May 2026.
- ^ BerriAI. Advisories and fixes: github.com, bugzilla.redhat.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.894, percentile 99.8, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2026-42208”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.