CVE-2026-1731: BeyondTrust Remote Support (RS) and Privileged Remote Access (PRA) Critical Vulnerability

What is CVE-2026-1731?

BeyondTrust Remote Support (RS) and certain older versions of Privileged Remote Access (PRA) contain a critical pre-authentication remote code execution vulnerability. By sending specially crafted requests, an unauthenticated remote attacker may be able to execute operating system commands in the context of the site user.

Technical Analysis

Weakness Classification

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-78 — OS Command Injection. The application passes untrusted input to an operating system shell command, enabling an attacker to execute arbitrary OS commands with the application's privileges.

Attack Vector Breakdown

• Attack Vector: Network
• Attack Complexity: Low
• Privileges Required: None
• User Interaction: None
• Scope: Unchanged
• Confidentiality: High
• Integrity: High
• Availability: High

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability is exploitable over the network, meaning any system reachable via the internet or internal network is potentially at risk without physical access. The attack complexity is low, requires no special privileges, and needs no user interaction — making it straightforward to exploit at scale. Successful exploitation can result in full confidentiality breach (complete data disclosure), complete integrity compromise (data modification or code execution), total availability loss (denial of service). The application passes untrusted input to an operating system shell command, enabling an attacker to execute arbitrary OS commands with the application's privileges.

Exploitation Probability (EPSS): 80.1% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (99th percentile). This places the vulnerability in the highest risk tier — immediate action is critical.

Exploit Availability

Public exploit code or proof-of-concept is available for CVE-2026-1731. This significantly increases the risk of exploitation, as attackers can use or adapt existing exploit code rather than developing their own. A public exploit reference has been identified. Organizations should treat this as an urgent patching priority.

Is CVE-2026-1731 being exploited?

Yes. CVE-2026-1731 is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, restricted to CVEs with confirmed active exploitation in the wild. CISA added this vulnerability on 2026-02-13. Inclusion in KEV triggers the patching mandate under BOD 22-01 for U.S. federal civilian agencies, with a remediation deadline of 2026-02-16. Additionally, public exploit code is available, which lowers the barrier for attackers.

How to fix CVE-2026-1731

Apply the security update issued by BeyondTrust for Remote Support (RS) and Privileged Remote Access (PRA). If an immediate patch is not possible, consult the vendor advisory for mitigation guidance, restrict network exposure of the affected service, and monitor logs for indicators of exploitation. CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog requires U.S. federal agencies to remediate this vulnerability by the due date shown below under Binding Operational Directive 22-01. Private organizations should treat KEV entries as priority-one patches because active exploitation has been confirmed in the wild.

Related Vulnerabilities

Other actively exploited vulnerabilities sharing the same weakness pattern (CWE-78 — OS Command Injection):

• CVE-2026-25108 (High 8.8) [same CWE] — FileZen contains an OS command injection vulnerability. When FileZen Antivirus…
• CVE-2025-11953 (Critical 9.8) [same CWE] — The Metro Development Server, which is opened by the React Native Community…
• CVE-2025-64328 (High 7.2) [same CWE] — FreePBX Endpoint Manager is a module for managing telephony endpoints in…
• CVE-2025-66644 (High 7.2) [same CWE] — Array Networks ArrayOS AG before 9.4.5.9 allows command injection, as…
• CVE-2025-58034 (High 7.2) [same CWE] — An Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS…

Frequently asked questions

Is CVE-2026-1731 critical?

CVE-2026-1731 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 — Critical severity. It should be treated as a priority patch, especially given the active exploitation confirmed by CISA. The availability of public exploit code further increases the urgency.

Is CVE-2026-1731 being actively exploited?

Yes — CISA added CVE-2026-1731 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-02-13. Inclusion in KEV means CISA has confirmed in-the-wild exploitation. Public exploit code has also been identified, making exploitation accessible to a broader range of threat actors.

How do I patch CVE-2026-1731?

Apply the security update from BeyondTrust for Remote Support (RS) and Privileged Remote Access (PRA). Federal agencies must remediate by 2026-02-16 under BOD 22-01.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-1731?

CVE-2026-1731 is classified under CWE-78 (OS Command Injection). The application passes untrusted input to an operating system shell command, enabling an attacker to execute arbitrary OS commands with the application's privileges.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-1731?

CVE-2026-1731 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, classifying it as Critical severity. The attack vector is Network, attack complexity is Low, and no privileges are required.