CVE-2026-52853: Docmost: Privilege Escalation - ADMIN Can Invite Users as OWNER
Docmost is open-source collaborative wiki and documentation software. Prior to 0.90.1, an authenticated workspace ADMIN can use the workspace invitation flow to invite an external email address with the OWNER role because the role ceiling does not prevent ADMIN users from granting privileges above their own. When the invitation is accepted, the new account receives OWNER-level permissions, allowing the ADMIN to create a backdoor OWNER account or promote a colluding external user to the workspace's highest privilege level. This issue is fixed in version 0.90.1.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
Docmostto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 0.90.1
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can exploit this issue?
An authenticated user with the workspace ADMIN role can exploit the issue. They can invite an external email address as an OWNER, despite not holding OWNER privileges themselves.
What must happen for the privilege escalation to succeed?
The invited external email address must accept the invitation. Once accepted, that account receives OWNER-level permissions in the workspace.
Are default role restrictions effective on affected versions?
No. On versions before 0.90.1, the invitation flow does not enforce a role ceiling that prevents an ADMIN from granting the higher OWNER role.
How can I determine whether a workspace may have been affected?
Review workspace invitations and membership records for accounts granted the OWNER role through invitations created by ADMIN users. Pay particular attention to external email addresses and unexpected OWNER accounts.
What should be done if immediate patching is not possible?
Restrict or closely monitor workspace ADMIN use of the invitation flow, and review or remove untrusted OWNER accounts. Upgrade to version 0.90.1 when possible.