CVE-2025-40536 SolarWinds Web Help Desk: security feature bypass
In plain words: A built-in safety check — like a warning before opening a downloaded file — can be skipped. Makes other attacks, like malicious downloads, work without the usual warning.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline Feb 15, 2026
What to do
- Install SolarWinds's security update for Web Help Desk. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
- Patch anything in this catalog first, ahead of normal patch cycles.
- Put admin and file-transfer apps behind a VPN or single sign-on instead of the open internet.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: Mass data theft and ransomware: a single flaw in a file-transfer or email server has exposed thousands of organisations at once.
The details
- Official name
- SolarWinds Web Help Desk Security Control Bypass Vulnerability
- Product
- SolarWinds Web Help Desk
- CISA description
- SolarWinds Web Help Desk contains a security control bypass vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated attacker to gain access to certain restricted functionality.
- Type of flaw
- Security feature bypass (CWE-693)
- Confirmed exploited
- Feb 12, 2026
- US federal patch deadline
- Feb 15, 2026
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Answering about CVE-2025-40536 ·
Questions about CVE-2025-40536
Is CVE-2025-40536 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2025-40536 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Feb 12, 2026, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2025-40536?
Install SolarWinds's security update for Web Help Desk. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
Am I affected by CVE-2025-40536?
Only if you use SolarWinds Web Help Desk. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.