CVE-2026-7722: Prefect Prefect Auth Bypass Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-6rr6-v7cj-mxpg
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CVSS 5.3
CWE-287
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-7722 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.3) prefect auth bypass vulnerability (CWE-287: Improper Authentication) affecting Prefect libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves prefect auth bypass via endswith() health check exemption. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.6.22.

CVE-2026-7722 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-7722
GHSA Identifier GHSA-6rr6-v7cj-mxpg
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.3
CWE Classification CWE-287: Improper Authentication
Affected Product Prefect
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.3

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-7722

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Prefect dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

prefect fixed: 3.6.22 
pip install prefect>=3.6.22
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

pip show prefect

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Python environment is affected by CVE-2026-7722, inspect your installed packages using pip:

pip show prefect

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Prefect in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.6.22), your application is affected.

Note: The pip show prefect command checks currently installed packages in your active Python environment.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-287: Improper Authentication, where when an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct. In Prefect, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

A vulnerability was detected in PrefectHQ prefect up to 3.6.21. This impacts the function endswith of the file /api/health of the component Health Check API. Performing a manipulation results in improper authentication. The attack is possible to be carried out remotely. The exploit is now public and may be used. Upgrading to version 3.6.22 will fix this issue. Upgrading the affected component is recommended.

CVE-2026-7722 Affected Prefect Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.6.22
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
prefect
pypi/prefect
PyPI
< 3.6.22
3.6.22

References

NVD — CVE-2026-7722 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-7722
Prefect Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/PrefectHQ/prefect/pull/21063
Prefect Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/PrefectHQ/prefect/pull/21063/changes/d8c4ff97ef7c0a940925d32b2d76324c8def42de
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/PrefectHQ/prefect/commit/e21617125335025b4b27e7d6f0ca028e8e8f3b79
Prefect Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://gist.github.com/nedlir/f576abbb0e491dc9bb7e106c140dda04
Prefect Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/PrefectHQ/prefect
Prefect Release RELEASE
https://github.com/PrefectHQ/prefect/releases/tag/3.6.22
vuldb.com/submit/807255 WEB
https://vuldb.com/submit/807255
vuldb.com/vuln/360898 WEB
https://vuldb.com/vuln/360898
vuldb.com/vuln/360898/cti WEB
https://vuldb.com/vuln/360898/cti

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-7722?
CVE-2026-7722 is a security vulnerability in Prefect involving Prefect Auth Bypass via endswith() Health Check Exemption under CWE-287: Improper Authentication.
Which Prefect versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.6.22 across affected packages: prefect.
What version fixes CVE-2026-7722?
Upgrading to 3.6.22 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is prefect affected?
Yes, prefect is affected in releases prior to 3.6.22. Upgrade your dependency to 3.6.22 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-7722?
CVE-2026-7722 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-7722?
CVE-2026-7722 is classified under CWE-287: Improper Authentication (When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2026-7722?
Run the dependency tree command: 'pip show prefect'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-6rr6-v7cj-mxpg",
  "modified" : "2026-05-22T13:05:45Z",
  "published" : "2026-05-04T03:31:28Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-7722" ],
  "summary" : "Prefect Auth Bypass via endswith() Health Check Exemption",
  "details" : "A vulnerability was detected in PrefectHQ prefect up to 3.6.21. This impacts the function endswith of the file /api/health of the component Health Check API. Performing a manipulation results in improper authentication. The attack is possible to be carried out remotely. The exploit is now public and may be used. Upgrading to version 3.6.22 will fix this issue. Upgrading the affected component is recommended.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "prefect"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.6.22"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-7722"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/PrefectHQ/prefect/pull/21063"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/PrefectHQ/prefect/pull/21063/changes/d8c4ff97ef7c0a940925d32b2d76324c8def42de"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/PrefectHQ/prefect/commit/e21617125335025b4b27e7d6f0ca028e8e8f3b79"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://gist.github.com/nedlir/f576abbb0e491dc9bb7e106c140dda04"
  }, {
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  }, {
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    "url" : "https://github.com/PrefectHQ/prefect/releases/tag/3.6.22"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://vuldb.com/submit/807255"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://vuldb.com/vuln/360898"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://vuldb.com/vuln/360898/cti"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-287" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-05-22T13:05:45Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-05-04T03:16:12Z"
  }
}