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StackStorm st2 EUVDEUVD-2026-71088

| CVE-2026-85514 LOW
Improper Privilege Management (CWE-269)
2026-09-04 VulDB GHSA-7pr7-27f4-hvhf
2.1
CVSS 4.0 · Vendor: VulDB
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Obtain low-privilege st2 account credentials
  2. Delivery
    Authenticate to st2 REST API
  3. Exploit
    Send crafted API key request with manipulated user parameter
  4. Execution
    Gain access to or control over target user's API keys
  5. Impact
    Leverage hijacked API key to execute privileged automation actions

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 st2 account with at minimum low-level API access (CVSS PR:L confirmed); unauthenticated exploitation is not indicated. The attacker must have network access to the st2 API endpoint. The specific condition is the ability to issue requests to the API Key Handler in st2api/st2api/controllers/v1/auth.py and supply an arbitrary value for the api_key_api.user parameter. No special server-side configuration is required beyond default st2 deployment. Limiting factors include the requirement for at least one valid credential in the target st2 instance, and the impact ceiling of low-rated C/I/A per the CVSS 4.0 assessment.

Impact

The CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N) and E:P exploit maturity confirm a remotely exploitable, low-complexity privilege escalation requiring only authenticated access - meaning even a mid-sized municipal IT team in leszno running StackStorm for network automation should treat this as worth prioritizing given the public PoC and unresponsive vendor. The impact metrics (VC:L/VI:L/VA:L) rate each dimension as low, suggesting the blast radius per exploitation is constrained - likely limited to API key context hijacking rather than full administrative takeover. The public PoC (GitHub issue #6380) lowers exploitation effort considerably despite the moderate base score. The absence of a vendor patch or advisory response is the most significant risk amplifier: defenders have no official remediation path. CVSS scores are moderate (5.3), which may lead to deprioritization, but the combination of public exploit, authentication bypass potential, and no patch warrants elevated attention in environments where StackStorm manages privileged automation workflows.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An authenticated st2 user with a low-privilege account crafts an API request to the /api/v1/keys handler, supplying a different username in the api_key_api.user argument than their own account. The handler improperly accepts this parameter without enforcing ownership, granting the attacker access to or control over API keys belonging to higher-privileged accounts, which may then be used to execute privileged automation actions or access sensitive runbook outputs. A public proof-of-concept exists in GitHub issue #6380, reducing exploitation skill requirements.

Monitor Track and reassess. Why: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9).
No patch listed yet 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 04, 2026

Improper privilege management in StackStorm st2's API Key Handler allows authenticated remote attackers to manipulate the api_key_api.user argument in st2api/st2api/controllers/v1/auth.py, enabling unauthorized privilege escalation within the automation platform. All versions through 3.9.0 are affected per the CPE data, and a publicly available proof-of-concept exploit exists (GitHub issue #6380). No vendor patch has been released; the StackStorm project has not responded to the responsible disclosure report.

RemediationAI

No vendor-released patch has been identified at time of analysis; the StackStorm project has not responded to the disclosure report filed via GitHub issue #6380. As an immediate compensating control, restrict access to the st2 API endpoint (/api/v1/keys) using network-level controls - block untrusted network sources from reaching the API port (typically TCP 9101). Enforce the principle of least privilege on all st2 user accounts and disable API key creation for low-privileged users where automation workflows permit it. Monitor st2 API logs for requests where the user parameter differs from the authenticated session user, which would indicate exploitation attempts. Apply upgrades immediately once a patched release is published; watch the GitHub repository at https://github.com/StackStorm/st2/ for fix commits or releases targeting this issue.

Affected VersionsENISA

st2 3.3
st2 3.0
st2 3.5
st2 3.2
st2 3.9.0
st2 3.8
st2 3.4
st2 3.1
st2 3.7
st2 3.6

Affected Packages

euvd st2 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

StackStorm (st2) is an open-source event-driven automation platform (CPE: cpe:2.3:a:stackstorm:st2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*) used for runbook automation and NetOps workflows. The vulnerable component is the API Key Handler in st2api/st2api/controllers/v1/auth.py. The root cause is CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management): the handler fails to validate or enforce ownership boundaries when the api_key_api.user parameter is supplied, allowing a caller with low-level authenticated access to associate or query API keys against arbitrary user accounts. This is a classic horizontal/vertical privilege boundary violation in a REST API layer, where user-supplied input directly controls which user context an API key operation targets.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (VulDB) PRIMARY 2.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P
vuln.today AI 5.4 MEDIUM

Network-accessible API requiring low-privilege auth; no scope change; confidentiality and integrity both low; no meaningful availability impact from privilege escalation in API key context.

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

Primary rating from Vendor (VulDB).

CVSS VectorVendor: VulDB

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

Lifecycle Timeline

3
Severity Changed
Sep 04, 2026 - 13:22 NVD
MEDIUM LOW
CVSS changed
Sep 04, 2026 - 13:22 NVD
5.3 (MEDIUM) 2.1 (LOW)
CVE Published
Sep 04, 2026 - 12:45 cve.org
LOW 2.1

DescriptionCVE.org

A security vulnerability has been detected in StackStorm st2 up to 3.9.0. Impacted is an unknown function of the file st2api/st2api/controllers/v1/auth.py of the component API Key Handler. Such manipulation of the argument api_key_api.user leads to improper privilege management. The attack may be performed from remote. The exploit has been disclosed publicly and may be used. The project was informed of the problem early through an issue report but has not responded yet.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 82% exploitable
Prevalence
Low
niche open-source automation platform, DevOps/NetOps specialist deployments
Exploit
POC
Public exploit code exists
Social Media
1
Sightings
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High
EUVD NVD CVE.org EPSS Vulnrichment CIRCL GitHub VulDB

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 LOW
CISA KEV No
Public POC Yes
EPSS 0.3%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9)
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
Scheduled
Exploitation
Poc
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
Low
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

30
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +10
PoC: +20
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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