External risk intelligence

Verba SSRF via WebSocket Import Endpoint.

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 9.2)

CVE-2026-65318

Verba is a RAG application, which is typically deployed as a web-based service. The vulnerability exists in a WebSocket endpoint used for importing files. As a web application, it is commonly exposed to the internet or accessible via an internal network gateway to provide service to users, making public or external-facing deployment a standard usage pattern.

Server-Side Request Forgery

Halo Surface Signal: 4 out of 5 — likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

A critical vulnerability has been identified in the Verba RAG application that could allow unauthorized access to sensitive information. The issue involves an unauthenticated server-side request forgery, enabling attackers to trick the application into making requests to internal resources, potentially exposing credentials or other confidential data.

Unauthenticated requests can expose internal data.
Understand potential exposure of sensitive credentials.
Confirm relevance and assess system exposure.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker can target the Verba RAG application by exploiting a vulnerability in its WebSocket import endpoint. This allows them to send malicious requests that trick the backend into fetching arbitrary URLs. By crafting these URLs, an attacker could potentially access internal resources or sensitive data.

No authentication required.
Supply attacker-controlled URLs.
Access internal resources or sensitive data.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

This vulnerability could allow unauthenticated attackers to trick the Verba RAG application into making arbitrary HTTP GET requests to internal resources. When supported, this could enable attackers to access sensitive information by providing specially crafted URLs through the WebSocket import endpoint, potentially revealing database endpoints or cloud instance metadata.

Internal service endpoints at risk.
Attacker-controlled URLs trigger requests.
Sensitive credentials may be exposed.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

This unauthenticated Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in the Verba RAG application impacts its backend by allowing arbitrary HTTP GET requests. The first practical step is to identify all instances of the Verba application, determine their network exposure and business criticality, and then locate the accountable team or owner for each instance. Remediation planning should then proceed based on the assessed risk.

Application and platform teams own remediation.
Verify WebSocket import endpoint reachability.
Plan maintenance for controlled patching.

Supplementary metadata

CVSS vector

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

Halo Threat Intelligence helps prioritize remediation with Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context. Start exposure validation with a free external attack surface trial.

Free EASM Trial See How Signal Works

Frequently asked questions

What is the Verba RAG application?

Verba is an open-source Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) application. It is designed to help users interact with their data by connecting to document sources, processing them, and providing a chat-based interface. It serves as a bridge between a user's local or cloud-based files and the underlying language models, often running as a web service to facilitate data ingestion and querying.

What does CVE-2026-65318 mean for system security?

This vulnerability is classified as Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF), specifically tracked as CWE-918. It means an attacker can manipulate the Verba application into acting as a proxy. Instead of performing its intended tasks, the server is tricked into visiting URLs chosen by the attacker. Because the application initiates these requests from its own environment, it can reach internal services that are otherwise protected from the public internet.

How is this SSRF vulnerability triggered?

The flaw resides in the WebSocket import endpoint, specifically within the HTMLReader configuration. An attacker can connect to this endpoint without needing any credentials and submit a crafted URL. Simply interacting with other parts of the application or viewing the interface does not trigger this; the malicious request must be explicitly sent to the import endpoint to force the backend to fetch the targeted internal resource.

Is my instance of Verba at risk?

According to Halo Surface Signal, Verba is typically deployed as a web-based service, making it a common target for external access. If your installation is accessible via the internet or sits on an internal network where it can reach sensitive resources like cloud metadata services or private databases, it is highly relevant. Even if the application is not public-facing, any internal user or compromised process with network access to the endpoint could exploit it.

What are the first steps to address this issue?

Begin by auditing your environment to locate all running instances of the Verba application. Once identified, evaluate whether these instances are reachable over a network that permits unauthorized connections to the WebSocket import endpoint. Assign a team to verify the specific configuration of the HTMLReader and prepare to restrict access or apply necessary updates to the software to disable the vulnerable functionality.

References

Written by Nicholas Merritt

Nicholas Merritt is VP of Security Solutions at Halo Security. With more than 25 years across application security, vulnerability prioritization, and offensive security, he helps teams translate threat data into practical exposure validation and remediation focus. He authors Halo Threat Intelligence CVE advisories using Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context to prioritize internet-facing risk.