Critical-Severity Code Injection Flaw in Stirling-Tools Stirling-PDF Tracked as CVE-2026-85714

A critical code injection tracked as CVE-2026-85714 has been published in the National Vulnerability Database for Stirling-Tools Stirling-PDF, with a CVSS base score of 9.1.

At a glance

CVE

CVE-2026-85714

Product

Stirling-Tools Stirling-PDF

CVSS

9.1 Critical

Weakness

code injection

Exploited

No known exploitation

What is the vulnerability?

The NVD entry states: Stirling-PDF is a locally hosted web application that facilitates various operations on PDF files. Prior to 2.13.2, an authenticated administrator using the default H2 database and security mode can upload a crafted SQL file to POST /api/v1/database/import-database. DatabaseService.validateSqlContent() splits normalized input on semicolons and accepts a statement when it contains any allowed keyword, allowing dangerous H2 functions such as FILE_READ and CSVWRITE, plus CREATE ALIAS, to bypass the insufficient whitelist and execute side effects when RUNSCRIPT processes the file. This permits arbitrary file access. The demonstrated operating-system command execution chain writes attacker-controlled startup files to a user-site location and then triggers an application Python interpreter configured to load those startup files, resulting in command execution as the JVM service account. This i

Affected versions

CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Is it being exploited?

There is no public confirmation of exploitation at the time of publication. It does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. We will update this report if that changes.

What should you do?

• Identify whether the affected product and versions run in your environment.
• Apply the vendor update listed in the advisory as soon as it is available.
• Limit network exposure of the affected service until it is patched.
• Monitor the vendor advisory for updated guidance or exploitation reports.

What to do and how to stay safe: CVE-2026-85714

• Vulnerability severity scores ignore your specific architecture and context.
• Exploitability depends on network exposure and user behavior, not just code flaws.
• Prioritization requires continuous asset inventory and threat intelligence alignment.

Risk-based vulnerability management focuses your limited resources on the flaws that actually threaten your business. Start by mapping your critical assets and checking for active exploits to prioritize your backlog.

Step-by-step guide: Risk-Based Vulnerability Management: Prioritize Fixes by Actual Danger

General security guidance from the Threat Times newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-85714?

CVE-2026-85714 is a code injection vulnerability in Stirling-Tools Stirling-PDF.

How severe is CVE-2026-85714?

It has a CVSS score of 9.1 Critical.

Is CVE-2026-85714 being exploited?

There is no public confirmation of exploitation at the time of publication.