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Wazuh Manager EUVDEUVD-2026-98677

| CVE-2026-74041 CRITICAL
Improper Handling of Case Sensitivity (CWE-178)
2026-10-13 VulnCheck
9.4
CVSS 4.0 · Vendor: VulnCheck
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Obtain manager:update_config credentials
  2. Delivery
    Craft ossec.conf with uppercase LOG_FORMAT command localfile
  3. Exploit
    Bypass case-sensitive config validator
  4. Execution
    Trigger configuration reload
  5. Persist
    wazuh-logcollector executes command as root
  6. Impact
    Full host compromise

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization Case sensitivity handling
Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires an authenticated principal holding the manager:update_config permission (PR:H) who can submit an ossec.conf change, and depends on the specific localfile log_format=command remote-command feature being reachable through the config-update path. The attacker must supply an uppercase LOG_FORMAT value so the case-sensitive ossec.conf validator fails to flag it while the case-insensitive wazuh-logcollector still executes it as root; execution occurs on the next configuration reload. Limiting factors: no anonymous/unauthenticated access is possible, the account must already have config-update rights, and the affected versions are specifically Wazuh 4.14.3 through 4.14.7 (fixed in 4.14.8).

Impact

This is a genuine high-priority issue for Wazuh operators, but its real-world risk is materially gated by the privilege requirement rather than the raw 9.4 score. The CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N) and the description agree: exploitation is network-reachable and low-complexity, but requires an authenticated principal already holding the manager:update_config permission (PR:H). The severity is driven by the outcome - code execution as root via wazuh-logcollector on config reload - reflected in full VC:H/VI:H/VA:H plus subsequent-system SC:H/SI:H/SA:H, consistent with a privilege-escalation scope change. No EPSS score, CISA KEV listing, or public POC is present in the provided data, so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis; the flaw was reported by VulnCheck rather than observed in active exploitation. The practical risk is post-authentication privilege escalation: an operator or compromised API credential with config-update rights turning limited management access into root on the manager host. Note the tag 'Authentication Bypass' is misleading - this is a remote-command-validation bypass that requires authentication, not an authentication bypass. Signals are internally consistent (no conflict between CVSS and description), and a vendor patch is confirmed available in v4.14.8.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An authenticated user (or attacker who has stolen API credentials) holding the manager:update_config permission submits an ossec.conf change containing a localfile block with an uppercase LOG_FORMAT value of 'command'. The ossec.conf validator, being case-sensitive, fails to recognize the uppercase form as a remote command and lets it pass, while the case-insensitive wazuh-logcollector executes the embedded command as root on the next configuration reload. No public exploit code is identified at time of analysis, but the technique is straightforward to reproduce from the advisory.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: CRITICAL severity.
Patch available 0.4% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026

Root-level command execution on the Wazuh Manager host is achievable by an authenticated administrator who holds the manager:update_config permission and submits an ossec.conf localfile block whose LOG_FORMAT keyword is spelled in uppercase. The case-sensitive configuration validator does not recognize the uppercase form as a remote-command directive and lets it pass, while wazuh-logcollector matches the keyword case-insensitively and therefore executes the embedded command as root the next time the configuration is reloaded. The flaw affects Wazuh 4.14.3 through 4.14.7 and is fixed in 4.14.8; no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, and the real-world risk is materially gated by the high-privilege (PR:H) prerequisite required to reach the vulnerable configuration path.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: upgrade Wazuh Manager to 4.14.8 or later, available from the release at https://github.com/wazuh/wazuh/releases/tag/v4.14.8, which is the fix cited by advisory GHSA-cjf8-wjx6-hjw6. Until the upgrade can be applied, the most effective compensating control is to tighten RBAC so that the manager:update_config permission is granted only to a minimal set of fully trusted administrator accounts, since the exploit requires submitting a configuration change through that path; this directly removes the attack primitive but reduces the number of operators able to manage configuration and should be paired with alerting on RBAC changes. Additionally, audit and restrict who can write ossec.conf, monitor for localfile blocks using log_format=command (including case variants such as LOG_FORMAT, Log_Format, or mixed-case spellings) and treat any such entry from an unexpected source as a compromise indicator, and review the daemon logs around configuration reloads for unexpected command execution by wazuh-logcollector running as root. Blocking management API access to only trusted administrative networks limits exposure but does not remove the flaw for insiders, and disabling the localfile local command capability entirely is the strongest workaround but forfeits legitimate log-collection use cases and may break existing monitoring. Note that the 4.14.8 release also bundles a set of related hardening fixes for surrounding components, so operators should validate their configurations against the full release notes after upgrading.

Affected VersionsENISA

wazuh-manager 4.14.3 <4.14.8

Affected Packages

euvd wazuh_manager fix: 4.14.8

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

The root cause is CWE-178 (Improper Handling of Case Sensitivity): two components that must agree on the same configuration grammar apply different comparison rules. The ossec.conf validator used by the Wazuh manager framework performs a case-sensitive check for the 'log_format' keyword and its 'command' remote-execution mode, so a localfile entry written as 'LOG_FORMAT' (or any upper/mixed-case variant) is not classified as a remote-command block and escapes the validation intended to prevent arbitrary command execution. wazuh-logcollector, the component that parses the same localfile directives at runtime, resolves the keyword case-insensitively and accepts the block, treating the associated command element as a legitimate localfile command. Because wazuh-logcollector executes these commands under the root account of the manager, the validation gap converts a configuration-write primitive into full local command execution on the manager host. Exploitation is only exercised when the configuration is reloaded, and it depends on the specific localfile log_format=command remote-command feature being reachable through the config-update path. The CVE is scoped to the wazuh-manager package (CPE cpe:2.3:a:wazuh:wazuh-manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*) and was reported by VulnCheck; the independent assessment scores it CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H, reflecting network reachability of the configuration API combined with a high-privilege requirement and scope change as the collector executes outside the configuration-management security context.

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Severity by source

Vendor (VulnCheck) PRIMARY 9.4 CRITICAL
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H
vuln.today AI 9.1 CRITICAL

Network API access with low complexity but requires manager:update_config (PR:H); code runs as root in a separate component, yielding S:C with full C/I/A impact.

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

Primary rating from Vendor (VulnCheck).

CVSS VectorVendor: VulnCheck

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

DescriptionCVE.org

Wazuh 4.14.3 before 4.14.8 contains a case-sensitivity mismatch between the ossec.conf validator and wazuh-logcollector that bypasses remote-command validation. Authenticated users with manager:update_config can inject an uppercase LOG_FORMAT command localfile that the collector runs as root on reload.

Technical POC Analysis

CWE-178, with the cross-component mismatch also matching CWE-436 interpretation conflict.

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

A critical flaw in Wazuh Manager (versions 4.14.3 through 4.14.7) allows an authenticated administrator with the manager:update_config permission to execute arbitrary commands as root on the manager host, potentially compromising the entire security monitoring platform. Because exploitation requires an already high-privileged account, the immediate risk is concentrated among trusted insiders or attackers who have already compromised administrative credentials, but successful abuse could lead to lateral movement, data exfiltration, and disruption of security operations. Leadership should prioritize upgrading to version 4.14.8 to eliminate this risk before it can be combined with other attack vectors.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.4%
Top 71% exploitable
Prevalence
High
widely deployed open-source SIEM/XDR security platform in enterprises
Social Media
2
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 CRITICAL
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.4%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
CRITICAL severity
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
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

47
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +47
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

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