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Ivanti Secure Access Client EUVDEUVD-2026-31445

| CVE-2026-8992 HIGH
Improper Certificate Validation (CWE-295)
2026-05-22 ivanti GHSA-748c-m6r6-qw5q
8.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: ivanti
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Position attacker on shared network path
  2. Delivery
    User launches Ivanti Secure Access Client
  3. Exploit
    Intercept TLS handshake with forged certificate
  4. Execution
    Client fails to validate cert chain
  5. Persist
    Deliver malicious payload over trusted tunnel
  6. Impact
    Execute arbitrary code on endpoint

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A07:2025 - Authentication Failures
ASVS 5.0
V12 - Secure Communication Certificate validation
Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires the attacker to occupy a network position between the Ivanti Secure Access Client and its configured VPN gateway (e.g., shared Wi-Fi, compromised upstream router, ARP/DNS spoofing on a LAN), and the targeted user must initiate a VPN connection using the vulnerable client (UI:R) - the attack is not driveable without that user action. The vulnerability is in the client's TLS certificate validation logic, so any deployment using Ivanti Secure Access Client below 22.8R6 to authenticate gateways via TLS is exposed by default; no special non-default configuration is required to be vulnerable. Limiting factors: the user-interaction requirement means the attacker cannot trigger exploitation unilaterally, and users on trusted/managed networks where MitM is infeasible are practically out of reach.

Impact

The CVSS 8.8 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) indicates network-reachable, low-complexity, unauthenticated exploitation with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, but requires user interaction - typically initiating a VPN connection. EPSS and KEV data were not provided, and no public exploit identified at time of analysis, so this is not confirmed actively exploited. The realistic risk is elevated for organizations whose users connect from untrusted networks (cafés, hotels, conferences) where an attacker can position themselves as a man-in-the-middle; conversely, users on trusted corporate networks face lower practical exposure. The combination of unauthenticated network vector and high impact on a widely deployed VPN endpoint client makes this a priority patch despite the UI requirement.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A user opens their laptop on hotel Wi-Fi and launches the Ivanti Secure Access Client to connect to corporate VPN. An attacker on the same network intercepts the TLS handshake with a forged certificate that the client fails to properly validate, then delivers a malicious payload through the established 'trusted' tunnel that executes as arbitrary code on the endpoint. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, but the attack pattern is well-understood for CWE-295 flaws in VPN clients.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
No patch listed yet 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – May 22, 2026

Remote code execution in Ivanti Secure Access Client versions prior to 22.8R6 allows unauthenticated attackers to run arbitrary code on endpoints by exploiting improper TLS certificate validation, contingent on user interaction (UI:R). No public exploit identified at time of analysis, but the CVSS 8.8 rating and Ivanti's own advisory disclosure mark this as a high-priority client-side risk for organizations using the VPN client.

RemediationAI

Upgrade Ivanti Secure Access Client to version 22.8R6 or later - this is the vendor-released patch identified in the input data. Consult Ivanti's May 2026 advisory at https://hub.ivanti.com/s/article/May-2026-Security-Advisory-Ivanti-Secure-Access-Client-CVE-2026-7431-CVE-2026-7432 for the full patched-version matrix and confirm coverage of CVE-2026-8992 specifically. As a compensating control until patching completes, instruct users to avoid initiating VPN sessions from untrusted networks (public Wi-Fi, hotels) and enforce always-on VPN policies that pin gateway endpoints; this reduces the MitM opportunity but does not eliminate it. Network-level controls such as requiring connections only from managed networks via NAC can further limit exposure at the cost of remote-work flexibility.

Affected VersionsENISA

Secure Access Client patch: 22.8R6

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Technical ContextAI · show details

The flaw is rooted in CWE-295 (Improper Certificate Validation), a class of weakness where TLS/SSL trust chains are not fully verified - common failure modes include skipping hostname checks, accepting self-signed certs, or failing to validate the issuer chain. Ivanti Secure Access Client is the endpoint VPN agent (formerly Pulse Secure Client) that establishes encrypted tunnels to Ivanti Connect Secure / Policy Secure gateways. When certificate validation is broken in such a client, a network-positioned attacker can impersonate the legitimate gateway and inject malicious responses that the client trusts. The affected CPE is cpe:2.3:a:ivanti:secure_access_client across all versions before 22.8R6.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (ivanti) PRIMARY 8.8 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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

CVSS VectorVendor: ivanti

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

DescriptionCVE.org

An improper certificate validation vulnerability in Ivanti Secure Access Client before 22.8R6 allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Ivanti Secure Access Client contains a high-severity remote code execution vulnerability (CVSS 8.8) affecting all versions prior to 22.8R6, with no vendor patch currently available. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code on endpoints through improper TLS certificate validation, potentially compromising employee devices and enabling unauthorized network access. This poses significant risk to organizations with distributed workforces dependent on VPN connectivity.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Implement interim mitigations: (1) Deploy or enhance endpoint detection and response (EDR) to monitor VPN client processes for anomalous behavior; (2) Restrict VPN access to business-critical operations and users; (3) Implement enhanced monitoring for suspicious child process execution from VPN client; (4) Deploy network micro-segmentation to limit lateral movement if an endpoint is compromised; (5) Provide alternate VPN access methods (e.g., web-based) for high-risk scenarios; (6) Strengthen access controls and monitoring for privileged accounts on affected systems.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 70% exploitable
Social Media
1
Sightings
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

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 0.1%
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
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

44
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +44
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.

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