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Splunk Enterprise EUVDEUVD-2026-62915

| CVE-2026-76350 HIGH
Improper Privilege Management (CWE-269)
2026-08-19 cisco GHSA-xjhr-xq5w-qrwr
8.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: cisco
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Recon
    Obtain account with schedule_search capability
  2. Delivery
    Configure email alert with PDF attachment
  3. Exploit
    Embed arbitrary SPL targeting sensitive indexes
  4. Install
    Trigger or await alert condition
  5. C2
    Scheduler passes system-level auth context to PDF renderer
  6. Execute
    Execute SPL with full system privileges
  7. Impact
    Exfiltrate indexed data or modify search head configuration

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Least privilege enforcement
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires an authenticated Splunk Enterprise session with a role that includes the schedule_search capability - this is a specific delegated capability that must be explicitly granted and is not present on all user accounts by default. The attacker must additionally have permission to configure email alert actions and specifically enable PDF attachment rendering within those actions. The vulnerability only activates at alert execution time, when the scheduler invokes the email action; simply configuring the alert is not sufficient without the alert condition being met. Limiting factors include: authentication is mandatory (PR:L per CVSS vector), the schedule_search capability must be present in the user's role (not a universal Splunk privilege), and impact is bounded to the search head tier. Non-default configurations that disable email alert actions or restrict PDF rendering would also prevent exploitation.

Impact

The CVSS 8.8 High score (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) is well-calibrated for this vulnerability: the attack path is network-reachable, requires no complexity, demands no user interaction beyond alert configuration, and delivers full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact on the search head once triggered. The PR:L designation is the sole mitigating CVSS factor, reflecting that the attacker must hold the schedule_search capability - a delegated Splunk role that may be broadly assigned across analyst and power-user populations in large SOC deployments. No EPSS data was included in the available intelligence, and the absence of a KEV listing or confirmed POC reduces near-term exploitation urgency, though the mechanism is clearly documented and the attack surface is well understood. The practical risk is highest in organizations with liberal schedule_search assignments; even a moderately sized enterprise security team should treat this as high-priority patching given the system-level impact on the search head, which in Splunk deployments typically indexes sensitive log and telemetry data from across the organization.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An authenticated Splunk analyst whose role includes schedule_search configures an email alert action with a PDF attachment containing a crafted SPL query targeting high-value indexes such as authentication logs or network telemetry. When the scheduled alert fires, the search scheduler invokes the PDF renderer under its system-level context, executing the SPL with full privileges - exposing all indexed data and enabling modification of search head configuration beyond the user's nominal role. No public POC has been confirmed, but the attack requires only standard Splunk web UI access and familiarity with alert action configuration.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 19, 2026

Privilege escalation in Splunk Enterprise allows any user holding the schedule_search capability to execute arbitrary SPL commands with system-level privileges on the search head by configuring PDF attachments in the email alert action workflow. The flaw exists because the search scheduler substitutes a system-level authentication context for the alert owner's context during PDF rendering, effectively granting the authenticated user full system access. Affected are all Splunk Enterprise installations across the 9.4, 10.0, 10.2, and 10.4 release branches below the patched versions; no public exploit or CISA KEV listing is identified at time of analysis.

RemediationAI

Upgrade Splunk Enterprise to version 10.4.2, 10.2.6, 10.0.9, or 9.4.14 as appropriate for the installed branch, per Splunk advisory SVD-2026-0801 (https://advisory.splunk.com/advisories/SVD-2026-0801). If immediate patching is not feasible, revoke the schedule_search capability from all roles that do not strictly require it - this eliminates the prerequisite privilege path but will disrupt legitimate scheduled search workflows and should be coordinated with affected analyst teams. As an additional control, audit all existing email alert actions configured with PDF attachments to identify any that reference sensitive indexes or use broad search syntax, which may indicate prior exploitation or misconfiguration. For alert_actions.conf hardening options, consult the Splunk documentation at https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/administer/admin-manual/10.4/configuration-file-reference/10.4.0-configuration-file-reference/alert_actions.conf.

Affected VersionsENISA

Splunk Enterprise 10.2 <10.2.6
Splunk Enterprise 10.0 <10.0.9
Splunk Enterprise 9.4 <9.4.14
Splunk Enterprise 10.4 <10.4.2

Affected Packages

euvd splunk_enterprise fix: 9.4.14, 10.0.9, 10.2.6, 10.4.2

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

Splunk Enterprise's alert framework allows users to configure email actions that render search results as PDF attachments. The underlying flaw is CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management): the search scheduler, when invoking the email alert action for PDF generation, passes its own system-level authentication token rather than the delegated token of the user who owns the alert. SPL (Search Processing Language) commands evaluated during this rendering step therefore inherit full system privileges rather than being bounded by the alert owner's role. CPE data (cpe:2.3:a:splunk:splunk_enterprise:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*) confirms the affected surface spans the full Splunk Enterprise product across multiple active release branches, and the Splunk alert_actions.conf configuration file - which governs email alert behavior - is directly cited by the vendor as the configuration surface involved.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (cisco) PRIMARY 8.8 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 8.8 HIGH

Network-reachable via Splunk web interface; low privilege (schedule_search role) is the sole prerequisite; no interaction needed; full impact on search head data and integrity.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (cisco).

CVSS VectorVendor: cisco

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

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch available
Aug 19, 2026 - 22:04 EUVD
CVE Published
Aug 19, 2026 - 21:34 nvd
HIGH 8.8

DescriptionCVE.org

In Splunk Enterprise versions below 10.4.2, 10.2.6, 10.0.9, and 9.4.14, a user that holds a role with the schedule_search capability could configure Portable Document Format (PDF) attachments in the email alert action workflow. When the email alert action runs, it could execute arbitrary Search Processing Language (SPL) commands with system-level privileges, expose all relevant data, and affect system integrity and availability on the search head. The vulnerability is possible because the search scheduler passes a system-level authentication context rather than the action owner context to the email alert action when it renders PDF attachments. For more information see alert_actions.conf (https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/administer/admin-manual/10.4/configuration-file-reference/10.4.0-configuration-file-reference/alert_actions.conf) in the Splunk documentation.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Splunk Enterprise privilege escalation vulnerability allows any analyst with search scheduling permissions to bypass access controls and operate with system-level privileges, creating significant insider risk for data-intensive environments. A single compromised or malicious employee in your security or analytics teams could manipulate search heads, access protected data, and alter system configurations at scale. This represents critical risk to data governance, compliance posture, and investigative integrity for security operations.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 79% exploitable
Prevalence
High
dominant enterprise SIEM deployed widely across large organizations
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 0.3%
Patch available Yes
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

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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