CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-53527NVD status: Deferred

leafwiki: Improper Privilege Management

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-53527 is a high-severity improper privilege management vulnerability in leafwiki from Perber, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 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. Affected leafwiki versions: >= 0.1.0, < 0.10.1. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.42% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Check which version of leafwiki you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
  2. Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Perberleafwiki>= 0.1.0, < 0.10.1Not stated

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
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:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (github.com).

Official description

LeafWiki is a self-hosted wiki. Versions 0.1.0 through 0.10.0 have a privilege escalation vulnerability in the user update API. An authenticated user could update their own account role and escalate privileges from a regular user, such as `viewer`, to `admin`. Exploitation requires a valid authenticated LeafWiki user account. Instances without public registration and with only trusted users are at lower practical risk. Users should update to version 0.10.1 or greater. Until a patch is available, operators should restrict account creation and ensure that only trusted users have accounts on affected LeafWiki instances. If possible, access to the user update API should be restricted to trusted users or administrators only.

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: no, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in leafwiki

All leafwiki vulnerabilities

Recent Improper Privilege Management vulnerabilities

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