Vulnerability Database

328,409

Total vulnerabilities in the database

Uptime Kuma Authenticated remote code execution via TailscalePing

Summary

The runTailscalePing method of the TailscalePing class injects the hostname parameter inside a shell command, leading to a command injection and the possibility to run arbitrary commands on the server.

Details

When adding a new monitor on Uptime Kuma, we can select the "Tailscale Ping" type. Then we can add a hostname and insert a command injection payload into it. The front-end application requires that the field follow a specific pattern, this validation only happens on the front-end and can be removed by removing the attribute pattern on the input element.

https://github.com/louislam/uptime-kuma/blob/dc4242019331e65a79ac16deef97510144e01b12/server/monitor-types/tailscale-ping.js#L40-L46

We can finally add the new monitor and observe that our command is being executed.

NOTE: When using Uptime Kuma inside a container, the "TailScale Ping" type is not visible. We can fake this information by intercepting WebSocket messages and set the isContainer option to false.

PoC

  • Authenticate.
  • Create a new monitor.
  • Select the TailScale Ping type (if not visible, see the note in the details section).
  • Insert the command injection payload inside the hostname field. (for example $(id >&2))
  • Remove the pattern requirement on the field.
  • Save and start the monitor.

Impact

An authenticated user can execute arbitrary command on the server running Uptime Kuma.

Remediation

There are other command execution in the codebase, they use a method spawn from the child_process module which does not interpret the command as a shell command, the same thing should be done here.

NOTE: The Tailscale CLI seems to support the -- sequence. It should be used between the ping subcommand and the hostname argument to avoid argument injection.

No technical information available.

No CWE or OWASP classifications available.

Frequently Asked Questions

A security vulnerability is a weakness in software, hardware, or configuration that can be exploited to compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Many vulnerabilities are tracked as CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), which provide a standardized identifier so teams can coordinate patching, mitigation, and risk assessment across tools and vendors.

CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) estimates technical severity, but it doesn't automatically equal business risk. Prioritize using context like internet exposure, affected asset criticality, known exploitation (proof-of-concept or in-the-wild), and whether compensating controls exist. A "Medium" CVSS on an exposed, production system can be more urgent than a "Critical" on an isolated, non-production host.

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Recurring findings usually come from incomplete Asset Discovery, inconsistent patch management, inherited images, and configuration drift. In modern environments, you also need to watch the software supply chain: dependencies, containers, build pipelines, and third-party services can reintroduce the same weakness even after you patch a single host. Unknown or unmanaged assets (often called Shadow IT) are a common reason the same issues resurface.

Use a simple, repeatable triage model: focus first on externally exposed assets, high-value systems (identity, VPN, email, production), vulnerabilities with known exploits, and issues that enable remote code execution or privilege escalation. Then enforce patch SLAs and track progress using consistent metrics so remediation is steady, not reactive.

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