Conjur Enterprise: Improper Access Control
CVE-2026-45178 is a high-severity improper access control vulnerability in Conjur Enterprise from CyberArk Software, a Palo Alto Networks Company, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 13.8.1, 14.2.6 as the first without the flaw, so updating Conjur Enterprise to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.36% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Conjur Enterprise to 13.8.1 or 14.2.6, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Idira Secrets Manager to 13.8.1 or a later version.
- Update Idira Secrets Manager Credential Providers to 14.2.6 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| CyberArk Software, a Palo Alto Networks Company | Conjur Enterprise | 13.0 up to, but not including, 13.8.1; 14.0 up to, but not including, 14.2.6 | 13.8.1, 14.2.6 |
| Palo Alto Networks | Idira Secrets Manager | 13.0 up to, but not including, 13.8.1 | 13.8.1 |
| Palo Alto Networks | Idira Secrets Manager Credential Providers | 14.0 up to, but not including, 14.2.6 | 14.2.6 |
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
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- 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
- NoneNothing can be modified.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | 8.4 | High | CNA (paloaltonetworks.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.1 | High | NVD |
Official description
Idira Secrets Manager Self-Hosted versions 13.8.0 and lower exhibit improper access control within internal cluster endpoints. A remote, authenticated attacker possessing standard node-level credentials could leverage these endpoints to potentially retrieve unauthorized secrets or cause a denial of service (DoS). CyberArk Security Bulletin: CA26-20
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Access Control
The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized 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.
- Compartmentalize the system to have safe areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area. Ensure that appropriate compartmentalization is built into the system design, and the compartmentalization allows for and reinforces privilege separation functionality. Architects and designers should rely on the principle of least privilege to decide the appropriate time to use privileges and the time to drop privileges.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent Improper Access Control vulnerabilities
- 8.1 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 10.0 Critical severity
- 8.5 High severity
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