Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain valid credentials
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DeliveryModify Secure Access client
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ExploitCraft malicious oversized message
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ExecutionSend to server
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PersistTrigger buffer overflow
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ImpactServer crash (DoS)
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Stack buffer bounds checking
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires authenticated access with low-privilege credentials (PR:L) to the Secure Access server and the ability to modify or replace the standard Secure Access client software to craft and send malicious messages. The attacker must have sufficient technical capability to reverse-engineer or modify the client communication protocol and construct specially crafted messages that trigger the buffer overflow in the server's message parsing logic. Exploitation is limited to scenarios where an attacker has either compromised legitimate user credentials or operates as a malicious insider with authorized access. Standard unmodified clients cannot trigger this vulnerability. Network accessibility to the Secure Access server is required (AV:N), but many deployments may restrict server access to internal networks or VPN-connected users, reducing practical attack surface. |
| Impact | Real-world risk is moderate despite the 7.1 CVSS score. The CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/VA:H) indicates network-reachable exploitation with low complexity, but authenticated access is required and impact is limited to availability (denial of service). The attack requires client modification, adding technical barriers beyond simple credential compromise. No EPSS score available to assess exploitation probability. Not listed in CISA KEV, indicating no confirmed active exploitation in federal enterprise environments. No public proof-of-concept identified. The vulnerability's practical exploitability depends heavily on attacker's ability to both obtain valid credentials AND modify client software to craft malicious messages, which significantly reduces attack surface compared to unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerabilities. For organizations using Absolute Secure Access, this represents a moderate priority patch-critical for internet-facing deployments where insider threat or credential compromise is a concern, lower priority for strictly internal deployments with strong access controls. The denial-of-service impact suggests this could be used to disrupt access management operations rather than for data exfiltration or lateral movement. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker with valid low-privilege credentials to Absolute Secure Access modifies the legitimate client software to bypass input validation controls. The attacker crafts malicious messages containing oversized or malformed data designed to overflow server-side buffers during processing. Upon sending these crafted messages to the Secure Access server, the buffer overflow triggers, corrupting memory and causing the server process to crash, resulting in denial of service for all legitimate users attempting to access managed endpoints. The attacker could repeatedly exploit this vulnerability to maintain persistent service disruption. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Apr 30, 2026
Buffer overflow in Absolute Secure Access server (versions before 14.50) allows authenticated remote attackers with modified client software to crash the server through specially crafted messages. This denial-of-service vulnerability requires low-privilege authentication and presents moderate real-world risk given the client modification prerequisite. EPSS data not available; no confirmed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept identified at time of analysis.
RemediationAI
Upgrade Absolute Secure Access server to version 14.50 or later, which contains the vendor-released patch addressing this buffer overflow vulnerability. Consult the vendor advisory at https://www.absolute.com/platform/security-information/vulnerability-archive/cve-2026-40950 for specific upgrade procedures and compatibility considerations. If immediate patching is not feasible, implement network segmentation to restrict Secure Access server access to trusted networks only, reducing exposure to potential attackers with modified clients. Monitor server logs for unusual client communication patterns, repeated connection attempts, or crash events that could indicate exploitation attempts. Consider temporarily disabling Secure Access server internet exposure and requiring VPN access for legitimate users until patching is complete-this trades convenience for security by eliminating direct internet attack surface. Review and strengthen authentication requirements to ensure only authorized users can authenticate to the server, reducing the pool of potential authenticated attackers. Note that workarounds reduce but do not eliminate risk, as insider threats or compromised credentials still enable exploitation.
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
This is a buffer overflow vulnerability (classic memory corruption class) affecting the Absolute Secure Access server component, which provides remote access management and endpoint security capabilities. The vulnerability exists in the server's message parsing or handling logic when processing client communications. Affected product identified via CPE cpe:2.3:a:absolute_software:secure_access:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* encompasses all Secure Access versions prior to 14.50. Buffer overflows occur when input data exceeds allocated memory boundaries without proper bounds checking, allowing memory corruption. In this case, the flaw is triggered by specially crafted messages from modified clients, suggesting insufficient input validation in the server's client communication protocol handler. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates network-accessible attack surface with low complexity but requires authenticated access, limiting the attack surface to environments where an attacker has obtained valid credentials or compromised a legitimate client.
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/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-2026-40950 is a buffer overflow vulnerability in the Secure Access server prior to 14.50. Attackers with control of a modified client can send a specially crafted message to the server and cause a denial of service
Executive ViewAI
Absolute Secure Access server versions prior to 14.50 contain a buffer overflow vulnerability that allows authenticated users with modified client software to cause service disruption. This denial-of-service flaw impacts organizations relying on Absolute for remote access, potentially affecting business continuity if exploited during critical operations.
Apply vendor patch. Until patched: implement network segmentation to restrict Absolute server access to trusted users only; monitor for anomalous client behavior or connection patterns; enforce strict client software integrity controls to prevent unauthorized modifications.
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.
A stack-based buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a buffer located on the stack than it was allocated to hold.
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EUVD-2026-26430
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
GitHub PoC
Exploit-DB