Privilege Escalation in OWASP DefectDojo API

Publication date: 2026-07-23

Last updated on: 2026-07-23

Assigner: VulDB

Description

A vulnerability was identified in OWASP DefectDojo 2.59.0. This issue affects the function UserSerializer of the file dojo/api_v2/serializers.py of the component API/Web. Such manipulation of the argument is_staff leads to improper privilege management. The attack may be performed from remote. The exploit is publicly available and might be used. Upgrading to version 2.58.3 and 3.0.0 is capable of addressing this issue. The name of the patch is 68a272f299d096249fd3ba9c2676bf69012857bf. It is advisable to upgrade the affected component. 2.59.0 was not intended to be released and has been removed.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-07-23

Last Modified

2026-07-23

Generated

2026-07-24

AI Q&A

2026-07-24

EPSS Evaluated

N/A

NVD

CVE-2026-16764

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
owasp	defectdojo	to 2.59.0 (exc)
owasp	defectdojo	2.58.3
owasp	defectdojo	3.0.0

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-266	A product incorrectly assigns a privilege to a particular actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.
CWE-269	The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in OWASP DefectDojo 2.59.0 involves improper privilege management due to manipulation of the is_staff argument in the UserSerializer function. This flaw allows remote attackers to potentially escalate privileges. The issue was fixed in versions 2.58.3 and 3.0.0.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to gain unauthorized privileges, potentially accessing sensitive data or performing actions they shouldn't. The exploit is publicly available, increasing the risk of attacks. Upgrading to a patched version mitigates this risk.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade OWASP DefectDojo to version 2.58.3 or 3.0.0 to address the improper privilege management vulnerability. The patch is identified as 68a272f299d096249fd3ba9c2676bf69012857bf.

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