CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-57202NVD status: Awaiting Analysis

asterisk: Privilege Defined With Unsafe Actions

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-57202 is a high-severity privilege defined with unsafe actions vulnerability in asterisk, 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. Affected asterisk versions: < 20.20.1; >= 21.0.0-pre1, < 21.12.3; >= 22.0.0-pre1, < 22.10.1, and others listed below. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.44% 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 asterisk 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
Asteriskasterisk< 20.20.1; >= 21.0.0-pre1, < 21.12.3; >= 22.0.0-pre1, < 22.10.1; >= 23.0.0-pre1, < 23.4.1Not stated
Asteriskcertified-asterisk< 20.7-cert11; >= 22.8-cert1-pre1, < 22.8-cert3Not 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
NoneAvailability is not affected.

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

Official description

Asterisk is an open source private branch exchange and telephony toolkit. Prior to Asterisk 20.20.1, 21.12.3, 22.10.1, 23.4.1 and Certified Asterisk 20.7-cert11, 22.8-cert3, an authenticated Asterisk REST Interface (ARI) attacker with read-only privileges may use `setChannelVar` to execute write dialplan functions, including `FILE()` writes, even when `live_dangerously` in `asterisk.conf` is set to no. The Asterisk HTTP web server must be enabled and reachable, and the attacker must already have valid `read-only ARI credentials`. HTTP is disabled by default and binds only to 127.0.0.1 by default even when enabled. This issue is fixed in Asterisk 20.20.1, 21.12.3, 22.10.1, 23.4.1 and Certified Asterisk 20.7-cert11, 22.8-cert3.

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

The underlying weakness: Privilege Defined With Unsafe Actions

A particular privilege, role, capability, or right can be used to perform unsafe actions that were not intended, even when it is assigned to the correct entity.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
  • Run your code using the lowest privileges that are required to accomplish the necessary tasks. If possible, create isolated accounts with limited privileges that are only used for a single task. That way, a successful attack will not immediately give the attacker access to the rest of the software or its environment. For example, database applications rarely need to run as the database administrator, especially in day-to-day operations.

More Privilege Defined With Unsafe Actions vulnerabilities (CWE-267)

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

Patches and release notes

Other vulnerabilities in asterisk

All asterisk vulnerabilities

Recent Privilege Defined With Unsafe Actions vulnerabilities

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