EUVD-2026-86403
GHSA-hm4f-jpr2-fpx4
Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessReach ServiceNow instance over network
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DeliverySend crafted unauthenticated request
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ExploitBypass missing authorization check
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ExecutionExtract instance data beyond scope
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ImpactEscalate privileges within instance
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Authorization checks on every request
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 targets the ServiceNow AI Platform and, per the vendor, requires no authentication (PR:N) - but the description explicitly limits it to 'certain circumstances,' meaning it is not reliably exploitable against every default deployment and likely depends on specific instance configuration or state that the vendor does not detail. Self-hosted and partner-managed instances that have not applied the provided update remain exposed; ServiceNow-hosted instances were patched by the vendor. The precise conditions that make an instance vulnerable are not disclosed in the available data, so defenders should treat any unpatched, network-reachable instance as potentially at risk and prioritize applying KB3159623. |
| Impact | This is a genuine high priority despite thin public data. The vendor CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N, VC:H, SC:H/SI:H, score 9.3 CRITICAL) describes a network-reachable, unauthenticated missing-authorization flaw in a widely-deployed enterprise SaaS/ITSM platform - the class of issue that attracts opportunistic scanning once details or patches are reverse-engineered. However, several signals temper the raw 9.3: the description qualifies exploitation as possible 'in certain circumstances,' which argues for higher attack complexity (AC:H) than the vendor's AC:L, and the vendor explicitly states it is 'not currently aware of malicious exploitation.' There is no EPSS score, no CISA KEV listing, and no public PoC, so this is not confirmed active exploitation - it is a serious latent risk, not a fire drill. Conflicting signal to verify: the vendor rates confidentiality/data-extraction impact as VC:H but sets vulnerable-system integrity/availability to N while assigning subsequent-system SC:H/SI:H - the privilege-escalation outcome is modeled as a scope/subsequent-system effect rather than direct integrity impact, which is worth confirming against ServiceNow's KB. CWE is listed as N/A but the description is textbook missing authorization (CWE-862). |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An unauthenticated attacker sends crafted requests to a network-reachable ServiceNow AI Platform instance and, under specific conditions, bypasses authorization checks to read instance data beyond their intended scope. The leaked data (records, configuration, or credentials) is then leveraged to escalate privileges within the instance. No public exploit code is available, and the 'certain circumstances' qualifier suggests the attack is not universally reliable against every deployment. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 24, 2026
Missing authorization in the ServiceNow AI Platform lets unauthenticated remote attackers, under certain vendor-undisclosed instance conditions, read instance data beyond the intended scope and escalate privileges. ServiceNow has remediated the flaw on its hosted instances and distributed the fix to partners and self-hosted customers, but no public exploit code or active exploitation has been reported and no EPSS score was supplied with the source data. The vendor CVSS 4.0 rating is Critical (9.3), while the independent assessment is lower and treats exploitation as conditional, so unpatched self-hosted or partner-managed instances should still be prioritized given the data-exposure and privilege-escalation potential.
RemediationAI
Patch available per vendor advisory: ServiceNow states it has already deployed a security update to hosted instances and has provided the update to partners and self-hosted customers, so the primary action is to apply that update or upgrade to a patched release as described in KB3159623 (https://support.servicenow.com/kb?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB3159623). No exact patched version numbers are published in the available data, so confirm the fixed release directly with ServiceNow support or the KB article rather than assuming a specific build. For instances that cannot be updated immediately, the most effective compensating control is to remove public network reachability of the instance - place it behind VPN or zero-trust access, or restrict inbound traffic to trusted source IP ranges - accepting the trade-off that legitimate external end-user access is lost while the control is in place. Because the flaw is unauthenticated and the observed impact is unauthorized data extraction and privilege escalation, also review platform and API access logs for anomalous or bulk reads from unexpected sources as a detection measure. Feature-level hardening such as disabling a specific module or endpoint is not practicable here, since the vendor has not disclosed which component contains the missing authorization check, and the vendor has stated it is not currently aware of malicious exploitation of this vulnerability.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affects your stack
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Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
This is an access-control failure in the ServiceNow AI Platform: the platform returns instance data to a requester who is not authorized to receive it, an outcome the vendor ties directly to privilege escalation. No CWE identifier or CPE mapping was included in the advisory, so neither the vulnerable component nor an enumerated build range is publicly available; the sole authoritative artifact is ServiceNow KB3159623. The vendor's CVSS 4.0 vector (9.3, AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N with subsequent-system impacts SC:H/SI:H) frames exploitation as unauthenticated and technically easy, while the independent assessment scores the same issue lower using an AC:H vector with PR:N and S:C - consistent with the vendor's own caveat that the behavior occurs only 'in certain circumstances,' which points to a configuration- or state-dependent authorization bypass rather than an unconditional one. The absence of a published CWE also means defenders cannot assume a single predictable endpoint or parameter class, and the subsequent-system metrics in the 4.0 vector imply that a successful abuse can propagate impact beyond the initially accessed component.
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:N
Network unauthenticated (AV:N/PR:N); AC:H reflects the 'certain circumstances' qualifier; authorization bypass crossing scope (S:C) yields high data exposure (C:H) enabling limited privilege escalation (I:L).
Primary rating from Vendor (servicenow).
CVSS VectorVendor: servicenow
DescriptionCVE.org
ServiceNow has remediated a missing authorization vulnerability that was identified in the ServiceNow AI Platform. This vulnerability could enable an unauthenticated user, in certain circumstances, to extract instance data beyond what was intended, resulting in privilege escalation.
ServiceNow deployed a security update to hosted instances and ServiceNow provided the update to our partners and self-hosted customers. We are not currently aware of malicious exploitation against ServiceNow instances. We recommend customers promptly apply appropriate updates or upgrade to a patched release if they have not already done so.
Executive ViewAI
A critical missing-authorization flaw in the ServiceNow AI Platform could allow attackers to read data beyond intended scope and escalate privileges on affected self-hosted or partner-managed instances, placing sensitive service-management, HR, and security data at risk. Because ServiceNow underpins core IT and security workflows, a successful compromise could cascade into broad unauthorized access to privileged functions and downstream business disruption. ServiceNow has remediated its hosted instances, but unpatched self-hosted and partner-managed deployments should be prioritized given the vendor's Critical rating and the conditional nature of exploitation.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis; interim mitigations include restricting network access to ServiceNow administrative and web interfaces to trusted ranges, enforcing least privilege and MFA on administrative and integration accounts, monitoring for anomalous data access and privilege escalation, and confirming with ServiceNow or your partner whether the vendor-distributed remediation applies to your self-hosted or partner-managed instance.
Threat Intelligence Overview
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.
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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