Is CVE-2026-40701 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2026-40701 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2026-40701 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2026-40701 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-40701?

CVE-2026-40701 has a CVSS score of 4.8 (MEDIUM).

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MEDIUM

CVE-2026-40701

CWE-416Published: May 13, 2026· Updated: May 13, 2026

4.8

CVSS v3.1

EPSS:0.03%probability of exploitation in 30 daysPercentile:10.4th

Official Description

NGINX Plus and NGINX Open Source have a vulnerability in the ngx_http_ssl_module module when the ssl_verify_client directive is set to "on" or "optional," and the ssl_ocsp directive is set to "on" or the leaf parameters are configured with a resolver. With this configuration, an unauthenticated attacker can send requests along with conditions beyond its control that may cause a heap-use-after-free error in the NGINX worker process. This vulnerability may result in limited modification of data or the NGINX worker process restarting.

Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2026-40701 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-416): Use-after-free vulnerabilities involve accessing memory after it has been freed, often enabling arbitrary code execution.