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Acunetix EUVDEUVD-2026-71151

| CVE-2026-6958 HIGH
Uncontrolled Search Path Element (CWE-427)
2026-09-04 VulnCheck GHSA-gfg7-69hm-p6fm
8.5
CVSS 4.0 · Vendor: VulnCheck
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Recon
    Gain low-privileged local account on Acunetix Windows host
  2. Delivery
    Identify missing hardcoded OpenSSL directory via public PoC
  3. Exploit
    Create missing directory at expected path
  4. Install
    Plant malicious DLL matching expected OpenSSL filename
  5. C2
    Trigger or await wvsc.exe SYSTEM-context execution
  6. Execute
    wvsc.exe loads malicious DLL from attacker-controlled path
  7. Impact
    Execute arbitrary code as SYSTEM

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A08:2025 - Software or Data Integrity Failures
ASVS 5.0
V13 - Configuration Search path element control
Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires a local user account on the Windows host running Acunetix 25.11.251107123 - the CVSS vector PR:L confirms a low-privileged (non-administrative) account is sufficient. The attacker must have filesystem permissions to create a directory at the specific hardcoded path expected by wvsc.exe for its OpenSSL files; on standard Windows installations this is typically achievable by non-admin users depending on the parent directory's ACL. The wvsc.exe process must run as SYSTEM (its normal operational mode) and must subsequently attempt to load OpenSSL files - this occurs during scanning activity or service initialization. The vulnerability is Windows-platform-specific and does not affect Acunetix on other operating systems. Limiting factors: no network access is required or involved; exploitation is purely local; the attack is constrained to the specific Acunetix version named, and only systems where wvsc.exe is installed and running as SYSTEM are at risk.

Impact

The CVSS 4.0 score of 8.5 with AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H accurately captures the exploitation profile: the attack requires only a low-privileged local account, no complex conditions, no user interaction, and no special attack prerequisites. The absence of EPSS data in the provided intelligence limits probabilistic exploitation forecasting, and the vulnerability is not listed in CISA KEV, so active in-the-wild exploitation is not confirmed. However, the publicly available PoC (Full Disclosure + PDF writeup) substantially narrows the skill gap required; even a mid-sized enterprise security team in inowroclaw running Acunetix on shared analyst workstations should treat this as urgent, since any local user - including compromised service accounts - can reliably reach SYSTEM in a single reliable step. The primary real-world risk amplifier is Acunetix's typical deployment on dedicated security workstations that often already have multiple privileged users or remote-access tooling, giving lateral movement paths post-escalation. The CVSS scope metric does not capture subsequent-system impact, but a SYSTEM foothold on a scanner host typically grants access to stored scan credentials, API keys, and internal network reconnaissance data.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A low-privileged domain user with interactive access to a Windows server running Acunetix identifies - via the public PoC - the missing OpenSSL directory path that wvsc.exe expects. The attacker creates the directory, drops a malicious DLL named to match the expected OpenSSL filename, and waits for wvsc.exe to restart (e.g., after a scheduled scan or service restart). When wvsc.exe resumes its SYSTEM-context execution, it resolves the OpenSSL path, loads the attacker's DLL, and grants the attacker a SYSTEM-level reverse shell. A public PoC is confirmed available, making this a reliable, low-skill attack.

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 – Sep 04, 2026

Local privilege escalation in Acunetix 25.11.251107123 for Windows enables low-privileged local users to execute arbitrary code as SYSTEM by exploiting CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element) in the wvsc.exe Web Vulnerability Scanning Engine. The SYSTEM-level wvsc.exe process searches for OpenSSL-related files at a hardcoded directory path that does not exist by default; an attacker creates the missing directory and plants a malicious file, which the service subsequently loads and executes, yielding full SYSTEM-level control. A public proof-of-concept is available via the Full Disclosure mailing list and corroborated by a VulnCheck advisory, making this trivially reproducible by any local user on affected Windows installations.

RemediationAI

No vendor-released patch with a specific fixed version is identified in the available references at time of analysis; the vendor homepage (https://www.acunetix.com/) should be consulted for an updated release. As an immediate compensating control, administrators should identify the hardcoded OpenSSL directory path expected by wvsc.exe and pre-create it with ownership and permissions locked to SYSTEM or the Acunetix service account, removing write access for standard users - this prevents an attacker from populating the directory with malicious files. Additionally, restricting local interactive or remote desktop access to hosts running Acunetix to only trusted administrators reduces the attacker surface. Security teams should monitor for unexpected directory creation under Acunetix installation paths using file integrity monitoring or Windows Audit Object Access policies. Full technical details and the PoC are published at https://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2026/Sep/0 and https://olografix.org/acme/_poc/CVE-2026-6958.pdf.

Affected VersionsENISA

Acunetix 25.11.251107123

Affected Packages

euvd acunetix 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

CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element) describes a class of vulnerability where an application resolves a resource - typically a shared library or configuration file - using a path or search order that an attacker can influence. In this case, wvsc.exe (the Web Vulnerability Scanning Engine component of Acunetix) is configured to load OpenSSL-related files from a specific hardcoded directory path. Because that directory does not exist on the filesystem after installation, any local user with standard permissions to create directories at that path can populate it with a malicious DLL or file before wvsc.exe attempts to load the legitimate OpenSSL material. Since wvsc.exe runs as SYSTEM (a necessary privilege for a scanning engine that must bind raw sockets and interact with the OS at a low level), the malicious file executes in the SYSTEM security context. The affected product is identified by CPE cpe:2.3:a:invicti_security_corp.:acunetix:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*, indicating Invicti Security Corp's Acunetix platform across all versions tracked under this CPE.

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Severity by source

Vendor (VulnCheck) PRIMARY 8.5 HIGH
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
vuln.today AI 8.8 HIGH

Local attack with low-privilege account, no complexity or interaction; scope changes to SYSTEM with full C/I/A impact on the host.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 (VulnCheck).

CVSS VectorVendor: VulnCheck

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

DescriptionCVE.org

Acunetix 25.11.251107123 for Windows contains a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the Web Vulnerability Scanning Engine (wvsc.exe) that allows low-privileged local attackers to execute arbitrary code as SYSTEM by exploiting a missing hardcoded directory path for OpenSSL-related files. Attackers can create the missing directory, place a malicious file at the expected path, and cause the SYSTEM-level wvsc.exe process to load and execute it, resulting in full privilege escalation.

Technical POC Analysis

CWE-427: Uncontrolled Search Path Element.

Full technical POC analysis - root cause, step-by-step exploitation and patch breakdown - is part of the Pro and Business plans.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Acunetix 25.11.251107123 on Windows is vulnerable to local privilege escalation (CWE-427) that allows any low-privileged user with local system access to gain SYSTEM-level control. Publicly available exploit code exists, making this trivially reproducible; this is a critical risk to security infrastructure, especially if the Acunetix system has network access to sensitive targets.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: (1) Enforce strict local access controls on Acunetix systems and disable unnecessary local user accounts; (2) Run wvsc.exe service under a non-SYSTEM service account with minimal privileges if the application architecture allows; (3) Implement file system integrity monitoring on OpenSSL library search paths with real-time alerting on DLL creation/modification; (4) Deploy EDR/XDR tools to monitor for suspicious wvsc.exe process behavior, unsigned DLL loads, and attempts to create files in system paths; (5) Network isolation: place Acunetix systems on restricted network segments with limited east-west access to sensitive infrastructure; (6) Conduct frequent local privilege escalation testing to verify control effectiveness.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 96% exploitable
Prevalence
Medium
commercial web app scanner used broadly in enterprise security teams
Exploit
POC
Public exploit code exists
Data Quality
4 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 Yes
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· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation· derived
Poc
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

62
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +42
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.

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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