CVE-2026-76253

Received Received - Intake

Privilege Escalation in Splunk Enterprise via Scheduled Search

Publication date: 2026-08-19

Last updated on: 2026-08-19

Assigner: Cisco Systems, Inc.

Description

In Splunk Enterprise versions below 10.4.2, 10.2.6, 10.0.9, and 9.4.14, a user that holds a role with the schedule_search capability could run arbitrary Search Processing Language (SPL) commands with the highest level of system privilege and read every credential stored in the credential store, which can allow for disclosure and modification of all relevant data and affect system integrity and availability. The vulnerability is possible because scheduled search alert action configuration does not properly restrict user-specific alert action settings before the search scheduler runs alert actions. For more information see Create scheduled alerts (https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/alert-and-respond/alerting-manual/9.3/create-alerts/create-scheduled-alerts), Set up alert actions (https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/alert-and-respond/alerting-manual/9.3/configure-alert-actions/set-up-alert-actions), Define roles on the Splunk platform with capabilities (https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/administer/manage-users-and-security/10.4/manage-splunk-platform-users-and-roles/define-roles-on-the-splunk-platform-with-capabilities), and Configuration file precedence (https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/administer/admin-manual/10.2/administer-splunk-enterprise-with-configuration-files/configuration-file-precedence) in the Splunk documentation.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-19

Last Modified

2026-08-19

Generated

2026-08-20

AI Q&A

2026-08-20

EPSS Evaluated

N/A

NVD

CVE-2026-76253

EUVD

EUVD-2026-63105

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
splunk	splunk_enterprise	to 9.4.14 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
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 affects Splunk Enterprise versions below 10.4.2, 10.2.6, 10.0.9, and 9.4.14. A user with a role that has the schedule_search capability can run arbitrary SPL commands with the highest system privilege. This allows them to read all credentials stored in the credential store, potentially leading to disclosure and modification of data, as well as affecting system integrity and availability.

Impact Analysis

An attacker with access to a role that has the schedule_search capability could exploit this vulnerability to gain full control over the Splunk system. This includes reading sensitive credentials, modifying data, and disrupting system operations, which could lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, or system downtime.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, which may violate compliance requirements under GDPR, HIPAA, and other regulations. Exposure of credentials and data could result in legal penalties, loss of trust, and reputational damage due to non-compliance with data protection standards.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade Splunk Enterprise to a patched version (10.4.2, 10.2.6, 10.0.9, or 9.4.14 or later) to address the vulnerability. Review and restrict roles with the schedule_search capability to only trusted users. Disable unnecessary alert actions and monitor for unusual SPL commands or credential access.

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