CVE-2026-41259: Mastodon: Insufficient verification of email addresses

Published Apr 23, 2026
·
Updated

Mastodon is a free, open-source social network server based on ActivityPub. Prior to v4.5.9, v4.4.16, and v4.3.22, Mastodon allows restricting new user sign-up based on e-mail domain names, and performs basic validation on e-mail addresses, but fails to restrict characters that are interpreted differently by some mailing servers. This vulnerability is fixed in v4.5.9, v4.4.16, and v4.3.22.

Affected Software

4 affected components
Mastodon Mastodon<4.5.9, <4.4.16, <4.3.22
Joinmastodon Mastodon<4.3.22
Joinmastodon Mastodon>=4.4.0<4.4.16
Joinmastodon Mastodon>=4.5.0<4.5.9

Event History

Apr 23, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·06:55 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·06:55 PM
DescriptionWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·07:17 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-41259?

CVE-2026-41259 is classified with a high severity due to the potential for exploitation through insufficient email address verification.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-41259?

To fix CVE-2026-41259, upgrade to Mastodon version 4.5.9, 4.4.16, or 4.3.22, where the issue has been addressed.

3

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-41259?

CVE-2026-41259 is a vulnerability related to insufficient verification of email addresses during user sign-up.

4

Who is affected by CVE-2026-41259?

Users of Mastodon versions prior to 4.5.9, 4.4.16, and 4.3.22 are affected by CVE-2026-41259.

5

What can happen if CVE-2026-41259 is exploited?

If exploited, CVE-2026-41259 can lead to unauthorized account creation and manipulation of user accounts.

Contact

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