Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessGain local user access
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DeliveryCraft malformed API payload
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ExploitSend data to Secure Access API
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ExecutionTrigger arbitrary read/write
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PersistInject code into SYSTEM process
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ImpactExecute with elevated privileges
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Bounds checking, read limits
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Collection The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Local interactive access or RDP session to a Windows endpoint running Absolute Secure Access client prior to version 14.50, with valid low-privilege user credentials (PR:L). The attacker must be able to execute code locally and interact with the Secure Access client's API interface, which appears to be accessible to standard users without requiring administrative privileges. No special configuration or non-default features are required - the vulnerability exists in standard installations. The local attack vector (AV:L) inherently limits exploitation to scenarios where the attacker has already established presence on the target system, either through prior compromise, physical access, or legitimate credentials. This fundamentally differs from remote vulnerabilities and constrains realistic risk to insider threats, supply chain compromises of user endpoints, or multi-stage attacks where initial access is achieved via separate vectors. |
| Impact | Real-world risk assessment presents moderate organizational risk with caveats. CVSS 4.0 base score of 8.5 reflects high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact (VC:H/VI:H/VA:H), but the local attack vector (AV:L) and low-privilege requirement (PR:L) significantly constrain exploitation scenarios to already-compromised endpoints or insider threats. The attack complexity is low (AC:L) and requires no user interaction (UI:N), meaning once an attacker has local access, exploitation is straightforward. Scope is unchanged (SC:N/SI:N/SA:N), indicating the vulnerability does not break security boundaries beyond the affected client. No EPSS data is available for risk quantification, and absence from CISA KEV indicates no confirmed active exploitation campaigns. However, privilege escalation vulnerabilities in enterprise security products are high-value targets for advanced persistent threats seeking to disable security controls and establish persistence. The 'Information Disclosure' tag suggests read primitive may expose credentials or keys. Priority depends on deployment: organizations with Secure Access deployed on sensitive workstations (finance, HR, executives) face higher risk than those using it only on standard endpoints. Patch availability in version 14.50 reduces urgency compared to unpatched vulnerabilities, but slow patch cycles in enterprise environments mean vulnerable versions may persist. SSVC framework assessment: exploitation status is none detected, automation potential is high given low complexity, technical impact is total system compromise-recommendation is Scheduled patching within standard maintenance cycles unless threat intelligence indicates targeting of Absolute products. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker with valid low-privilege domain credentials compromises a standard user workstation through phishing or stolen credentials. They identify Absolute Secure Access client version 14.49 installed and craft malicious API payloads exploiting the arbitrary read/write vulnerability to read memory structures containing security tokens, then write shellcode into privileged process memory. The Secure Access client service running as SYSTEM executes the attacker's code, granting full administrative control of the endpoint. The attacker then disables security monitoring, extracts cached credentials from memory, and establishes persistence via scheduled tasks before pivoting to adjacent network resources. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Apr 30, 2026
Local privilege escalation in Absolute Secure Access Windows client versions prior to 14.50 allows authenticated local attackers to escalate privileges to SYSTEM level by sending malformed API data. The vulnerability stems from an arbitrary read/write flaw in the client's API handling. Vendor patch is available (version 14.50). EPSS score not available for this recent CVE; no public exploit identified at time of analysis, and not currently listed in CISA KEV.
RemediationAI
Upgrade Absolute Secure Access Windows client to version 14.50 or later, as confirmed by vendor advisory at https://www.absolute.com/platform/security-information/vulnerability-archive/cve-2026-33451. Organizations should prioritize endpoints with elevated risk profiles (administrative workstations, systems processing sensitive data) for immediate patching. If immediate upgrade is not feasible, implement compensating controls: restrict local logon rights to trusted users only via Group Policy (Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > User Rights Assignment > 'Allow log on locally'), enable Windows Defender Application Control or AppLocker to prevent unauthorized code execution by low-privileged users, and monitor for unusual API calls or privilege escalation attempts via Sysmon Event ID 10 (process access) targeting the Secure Access client process. These mitigations reduce attack surface but do not eliminate the vulnerability; local administrators can often bypass these controls, and restricting logons may impact legitimate workflows. Deploy centralized patch management to track upgrade completion and identify systems running vulnerable versions via software inventory tools querying installed Secure Access client versions.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
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
Absolute Secure Access is an endpoint security and access control solution for Windows environments. This vulnerability represents an arbitrary read/write condition in the Windows client's API interface that handles local IPC or service communications. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates local attack surface (AV:L) with low complexity (AC:L) requiring low-privilege local user credentials (PR:L). Arbitrary read/write vulnerabilities typically allow attackers to manipulate memory or system structures by reading sensitive data to bypass protections (like ASLR) and writing crafted payloads to privileged memory regions. Without a mapped CWE, the specific root cause class is unclear, but common patterns include improper input validation (CWE-20), insufficient access control on API endpoints (CWE-284), or unsafe deserialization of API payloads. The affected CPE (cpe:2.3:a:absolute_software:secure_access) confirms this is the enterprise access control client rather than Absolute's broader endpoint management platform.
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Primary rating from Vendor (Absolute) · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorVendor: Absolute
Lifecycle Timeline
4DescriptionCVE.org
CVE-2026-33451 is an arbitrary read/write vulnerability in the Secure Access Windows client prior to 14.50. Attackers with local control of the Windows client can send malformed data to an API and elevate their level of privilege to system.
Executive ViewAI
Absolute Secure Access Windows client versions prior to 14.50 contain a local privilege escalation vulnerability that allows authenticated users to gain SYSTEM-level access, potentially compromising endpoint security and enabling lateral movement across the organization. All affected Windows deployments require immediate patching to prevent insider threats and post-compromise persistence.
Apply vendor patch.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.
Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.
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Null dereference in the load-balancing subsystem of Absolute Secure Access servers (prior to 14.57) allows unauthenticat
EUVD-2026-26423
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
GitHub PoC
Exploit-DB