Splunk Enterprise: Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key
CVE-2026-76298 is a high-severity use of hard-coded cryptographic key vulnerability in Splunk Enterprise from Splunk, 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. The record lists versions 10.4.4, 10.2.8 as the first without the flaw, so updating Splunk Enterprise to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.35% 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 Splunk Enterprise to 10.4.4 or 10.2.8, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Splunk to 10.2.8 or 10.4.4, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Read the advisory on advisory.splunk.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Splunk | Splunk Enterprise | 10.4 up to, but not including, 10.4.4; 10.2 up to, but not including, 10.2.8 | 10.4.4, 10.2.8 |
| Splunk | Splunk | 10.2.0 up to, but not including, 10.2.8; 10.4.0 up to, but not including, 10.4.4 | 10.2.8, 10.4.4 |
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 (cisco.com).
Official description
In Splunk Enterprise versions below 10.4.4 and 10.2.8, a user who does not hold the "admin" or "power" Splunk roles could derive the PostgreSQL sidecar database superuser password and run arbitrary operating system commands as the user account running Splunk Enterprise on search head cluster members. The vulnerability is possible because the PostgreSQL sidecar service derives a privileged database password from the search head cluster identifier that appears in search job logs. For more information see About configuring role-based user access (https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/administer/manage-users-and-security/10.2/manage-splunk-platform-users-and-roles/about-configuring-role-based-user-access), server.conf (https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/administer/admin-manual/10.2/configuration-file-reference/10.2.0-configuration-file-reference/server.conf), and Sidecar configuration settings (https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/administer/admin-manual/10.4/splunk-sidecars/sidecar-configuration-settings) in the Splunk documentation.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key
The product uses a hard-coded, unchangeable cryptographic key.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Prevention schemes mirror that of hard-coded password storage.
More Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key vulnerabilities (CWE-321)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
Other vulnerabilities in Splunk Enterprise
- 9.9 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 9.9 Critical severity
- 7.2 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
Recent Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 8.6 High severity
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