CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-1728NVD status: Analyzed

WSO2 API Manager: Improper Privilege Management

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-1728 is a critical-severity improper privilege management vulnerability in WSO2 API Manager from WSO2, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 4.0.0.384, 4.1.0.248, 4.2.0.188 as the first without the flaw, so updating WSO2 API Manager to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.48% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Patch this week

Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.

What to do

  1. Update WSO2 API Manager to 4.0.0.384 or 4.1.0.248 or 4.2.0.188 or 4.3.0.99, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update WSO2 API Control Plane to 4.5.0.49 or 4.6.0.13, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  3. Update WSO2 Universal Gateway to 4.5.0.48 or 4.6.0.12, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  4. Read the advisory on security.docs.wso2.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  5. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
WSO2WSO2 API Manager4.0.0 up to, but not including, 4.0.0.384; 4.1.0 up to, but not including, 4.1.0.248; 4.2.0 up to, but not including, 4.2.0.188; 4.3.0 up to, but not including, 4.3.0.99; 4.4.0 up to, but not including, 4.4.0.63; 4.5.0 up to, but not including, 4.5.0.48; 4.6.0 up to, but not including, 4.6.0.124.0.0.384, 4.1.0.248, 4.2.0.188, 4.3.0.99, 4.4.0.63, 4.5.0.48
WSO2WSO2 API Control Plane4.5.0 up to, but not including, 4.5.0.49; 4.6.0 up to, but not including, 4.6.0.134.5.0.49, 4.6.0.13
WSO2WSO2 Universal Gateway4.5.0 up to, but not including, 4.5.0.48; 4.6.0 up to, but not including, 4.6.0.124.5.0.48, 4.6.0.12
WSO2WSO2 Traffic Manager4.5.0 up to, but not including, 4.5.0.47; 4.6.0 up to, but not including, 4.6.0.124.5.0.47, 4.6.0.12
WSO2WSO2 Carbon API Manager Rest API Common Functions9.0.174 up to, but not including, 9.0.174.550; 9.28.116 up to, but not including, 9.28.116.404; 9.29.120 up to, but not including, 9.29.120.221; 9.30.67 up to, but not including, 9.30.67.146; 9.31.86 up to, but not including, 9.31.86.130; 9.32.147 up to, but not including, 9.32.147.269.0.174.550, 9.28.116.404, 9.29.120.221, 9.30.67.146, 9.31.86.130, 9.32.147.26
WSO2WSO2 Carbon API Manager Rest API Utility9.20.74 up to, but not including, 9.20.74.3929.20.74.392
WSO2API Control Plane4.5.0 up to, but not including, 4.5.0.49; 4.6.0 up to, but not including, 4.6.0.134.5.0.49, 4.6.0.13
WSO2API Manager4.0.0 up to, but not including, 4.0.0.384; 4.1.0 up to, but not including, 4.1.0.248; 4.2.0 up to, but not including, 4.2.0.188; 4.3.0 up to, but not including, 4.3.0.99; 4.4.0 up to, but not including, 4.4.0.63; 4.5.0 up to, but not including, 4.5.0.48; 4.6.0 up to, but not including, 4.6.0.124.0.0.384, 4.1.0.248, 4.2.0.188, 4.3.0.99, 4.4.0.63, 4.5.0.48
WSO2Traffic Manager4.5.0 up to, but not including, 4.5.0.47; 4.6.0 up to, but not including, 4.6.0.124.5.0.47, 4.6.0.12
WSO2Universal Gateway4.5.0 up to, but not including, 4.5.0.48; 4.6.0 up to, but not including, 4.6.0.124.5.0.48, 4.6.0.12

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA.

Official description

Tokens issued to a low-privileged user are not sufficiently restricted, allowing them to be used to access product-level Admin REST APIs. Exploitation of this vulnerability allows a low-privileged user to invoke the Admin REST APIs of WSO2 products, potentially leading to full administrative account takeover. This requires the attacker to already possess a low-privileged user account and be able to obtain a valid token for it.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Privilege Management

The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
  • Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
  • Consider following the principle of separation of privilege. Require multiple conditions to be met before permitting access to a system resource.

More Improper Privilege Management vulnerabilities (CWE-269)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in WSO2 API Manager

All WSO2 API Manager vulnerabilities

Recent Improper Privilege Management vulnerabilities

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