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Operations Agent CVE-2026-2123

| EUVDEUVD-2026-17534 HIGH
Improper Handling of Insufficient Permissions or Privileges (CWE-280)
2026-03-31 OpenText
8.6
CVSS 4.0 · Vendor: OpenText
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Place malicious executable in writable directory
  2. Exploit
    User interacts with Operations Agent
  3. Execution
    Agent executes attacker-controlled binary
  4. Impact
    Privilege escalation to SYSTEM context

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A10:2025 - Mishandling of Exceptional Conditions
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Insufficient permission handling
Exploitation Conditions

Requires local access to Windows system running Operations Agent version 12.29 or earlier. Attacker needs low-privilege user account. Victim interaction required: user must execute or interact with a crafted file placed in writable locations that Operations Agent monitors.

Impact

While a CVSS score is not provided, the vulnerability presents moderate-to-high real-world risk for Windows environments. The attack vector is local (requiring system access), which reduces exposure compared to network-based attacks, but privilege escalation from low to high privilege is a critical impact. The specificity requirement ('under specific conditions') suggests the vulnerability may not be trivial to exploit, which may reduce frequency in unmanaged environments; however, in managed or shared Windows systems where users have write access to common directories, exploitation becomes practical. The lack of a CVSS vector and published EPSS score prevents quantitative comparison, but the combination of confirmed privilege escalation capability, a known reporting source (Oneconsult AG security researchers), and the targeting of an enterprise management tool elevates priority for organizations using Operations Agent in sensitive environments. Without KEV confirmation or public exploit code, this appears to be a genuine but not yet weaponized vulnerability.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An unprivileged local user on a Windows system running vulnerable Operations Agent identifies a writeable directory in the agent's executable search path (such as a temp folder, a shared directory, or an unprotected plugin location). The attacker places a malicious executable with a name the agent expects (e.g., a legitimate DLL or executable name), and when the agent performs a scheduled task or maintenance operation, it loads and executes the attacker's payload with system-level privileges. This allows the attacker to escalate from user-level to system-level access without requiring credentials or exploitation of a remote service. No public exploit proof-of-concept has been identified, but the attack pattern is well-established in Windows privilege escalation research.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
No patch listed yet 0.0% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Mar 31, 2026

Privilege escalation in OpenText Operations Agent versions 12.29 and earlier on Windows allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code by placing malicious executables in specific writeable directories, which the agent subsequently executes with elevated privileges. The vulnerability requires local access and specific conditions to be present but does not require prior authentication to the agent itself. No public exploit code has been identified, and there is no confirmation of active exploitation at time of analysis.

RemediationAI

Update OpenText Operations Agent to a version later than 12.29 as soon as feasible. Consult OpenText's KM000046068 article (https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000046068) for the exact patched version number and upgrade procedures. As an interim mitigation pending patching, restrict write permissions on directories from which Operations Agent loads or searches for executables, ensuring that only administrative accounts and the Operations Agent service account have write access. Additionally, enforce principle of least privilege for user accounts interacting with the system and monitor file creation events in sensitive system directories for unauthorized executable placement.

Affected VersionsENISA

Operations Agent OA 12.22 ≤OA 12.29

Affected Packages

euvd operations_agent_oa_12_22_oa no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

OpenText Operations Agent is a Windows-based monitoring and management component that executes system tasks and processes. The vulnerability stems from CWE-280 (Improper Handling of Insufficient Permissions or Privileges), indicating a failure in access control logic during executable loading or invocation. The agent appears to search for or load executables from directories with insufficient write-protection, allowing an unprivileged local user to introduce malicious binaries that the agent-running with elevated system privileges-subsequently executes. This is a classic DLL hijacking or binary search-path vulnerability pattern where the agent does not properly validate the source or integrity of executables before execution.

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Severity by source

Vendor (OpenText) PRIMARY 8.6 HIGH
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H

Primary rating from Vendor (OpenText) · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorVendor: OpenText

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Requirements
None
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
Passive
Vulnerable system: Confidentiality
High
Vulnerable system: Integrity
High
Vulnerable system: Availability
High
Subsequent system: Confidentiality
High
Subsequent system: Integrity
High
Subsequent system: Availability
High

DescriptionCVE.org

A security audit identified a privilege escalation vulnerability in Operations Agent(<=OA 12.29) on Windows. Under specific conditions Operations Agent may run executables from specific writeable locations.Thanks to Manuel Rickli & Philippe Leiser of Oneconsult AG for reporting this vulnerability

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.0%
Top 98% exploitable
Data Quality
7 sources
Confidence: High

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.0%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Defer
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

43
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +43
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.

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