# CVE-2026-1281: Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile - RCE

> Live exploitation tracking for CVE-2026-1281 by the CrowdSec Live Exploit Tracker, built from real-world attack data crowdsourced from CrowdSec's global network.

Page: https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2026-1281

## Key facts

- **Exploitation phase:** Limited Exploitation. The vulnerability is known but shows very limited attacker interest or exploitation activity.
- **CVSS score:** 9.8
- **Public exploit available:** Yes
- **Affected products:** Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile
- **Weaknesses:** CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection'))
- **Tags:** enterprise_software

## Description

A code injection vulnerability in Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM) allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected on-premises installations via the In-House Application Distribution feature.

## CrowdSec analysis

[CVE-2026-1281](https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/CVE-2026-1281) is a critical code injection vulnerability in Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM). The flaw exists in a Bash script that processes HTTP requests to the `/mifs/c/appstore/fob/` endpoint, which services the In-House Application Distribution feature. Due to improper sanitization of user input during Bash arithmetic expansion, unauthenticated attackers can inject OS commands via crafted URL parameters that get executed when the shell evaluates array index expressions. Successful exploitation grants full control over the EPMM appliance, potentially exposing sensitive MDM data including user PII, device identifiers, and GPS locations. This vulnerability has been added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

CrowdSec has been tracking this vulnerability and its exploits since 2nd of February 2026.

Data from the CrowdSec community indicates that exploitation of CVE-2026-1281 is highly selective and intelligence-driven. Threat actors use advanced reconnaissance and carefully choose their targets, often as part of sophisticated campaigns or advanced persistent threat operations.
Telemetry from the CrowdSec network also shows that exploitation activity for CVE-2026-1281 remains steady week-over-week. Attack volumes are consistent with long-term trends, indicating sustained interest from threat actors. CVE-2026-1281 continues to be an active part of the threat landscape and will likely remain this way for the forseeable future.

Exploitation attempts target URLs matching `/mifs/c/appstore/fob/` with payloads containing URL-encoded backticks (`%60`), square brackets (`%5B`, `%5D`), or Bash variable references like `theValue` or `gPath` within the `sha256:` parameter segment to trigger command execution via arithmetic expansion.

## Timeline

- 2026-01-29: CVE Published. CVE-2026-1281 is published to NVD.
- 2026-01-29: CISA KEV. CVE-2026-1281 is added to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog by CISA.
- 2026-02-01: CISA Remediation Deadline. Expiration of the CISA remediation deadline as described in [BOD 22-01](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-22-01-reducing-significant-risk-known-exploited-vulnerabilities).
- 2026-02-02: Rule Released. CrowdSec releases a rule to detect CVE-2026-1281 exploitation attempts against the CrowdSec Network.
- 2026-02-02: CrowdSec First Seen. CrowdSec observes in-the-wild exploitation of CVE-2026-1281 for the first time.

## References

- https://forums.ivanti.com/s/article/Security-Advisory-Ivanti-Endpoint-Manager-Mobile-EPMM-CVE-2026-1281-CVE-2026-1340
- https://labs.watchtowr.com/someone-knows-bash-far-too-well-and-we-love-it-ivanti-epmm-pre-auth-rces-cve-2026-1281-cve-2026-1340/

## Live exploitation data

The [Live Exploit Tracker page](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2026-1281) follows observed exploitation activity for CVE-2026-1281. [Request an API key](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/request-api-key) for full access to its exploitation timeline, attacking IP addresses and blocklists.