CVE-2026-16772

Deferred Deferred - Pending Action

Authenticated Users Privilege Escalation in Akaunting

Publication date: 2026-08-14

Last updated on: 2026-09-14

Assigner: CERT/CC

Description

In Akaunting versions <= 3.1.21, low‑privileged authenticated users can modify their own account to assign themselves the admin role ID, granting full administrator privileges. This vulnerability is caused by a flaw in the `UpdateUser` job, which processes user-supplied role assignments via an unconditional `roles()->sync()` call without verifying whether the caller is authorized to manage roles. Users only require the default `update-auth-profile` permission to access the self-update path and assign themselves as admins. The API endpoints are properly permission‑gated and are not affected by this issue. This vulnerability has been remediated in v3.2.0, commit 80ef6d3b154a.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-14

Last Modified

2026-09-14

Generated

2026-09-24

AI Q&A

2026-08-14

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-22

NVD

CVE-2026-16772

EUVD

EUVD-2026-58680

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
akaunting	akaunting	to 3.1.21 (inc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-862	The product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.
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

CVE-2026-16772 is a privilege escalation flaw in Akaunting versions 3.1.21 or earlier. Low-privileged authenticated users can exploit the UpdateUser job to assign themselves the admin role by modifying their own account. The issue occurs because the application uses an unconditional roles()->sync() call without verifying if the user is authorized to change roles. Only the default update-auth-profile permission is required to access the self-update feature.

Detection Guidance

Check Akaunting user roles for unexpected admin assignments by reviewing the `users` table in the database for entries where the role ID is set to admin. Inspect web server logs for POST requests to the profile update endpoint containing role modification payloads.

Impact Analysis

An attacker with basic user permissions could escalate to admin status, gaining full control over the system. This includes access to sensitive financial data, ability to manage other users, and control over system settings. The attack requires only a simple POST request to the profile update endpoint with no additional conditions.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, violating compliance requirements for GDPR, HIPAA, and other regulations. Unrestricted admin access may result in data breaches, improper data handling, and failure to maintain audit trails, potentially leading to legal penalties and loss of certification.

Mitigation Strategies

Remove admin privileges from non-admin users immediately. Disable self-service profile updates if possible. Monitor for unauthorized role changes and restrict access to the profile update endpoint until a patch is available.

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