Local Privilege Escalation in Acunetix Web Vulnerability Scanning Engine

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-6958 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Acunetix 25.11.251107123 for Windows. The flaw exists in the Web Vulnerability Scanning Engine (wvsc.exe) due to a hardcoded directory path for OpenSSL-related files. A low-privileged local attacker can create the missing directory, place a malicious file at the expected path, and cause the SYSTEM-level wvsc.exe process to load and execute it, resulting in full privilege escalation.

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Detection Guidance

Check for the presence of the hardcoded OpenSSL directory path (C:\builds\[PATH OMITTED]\\[REDACTED]\openssl.cnf) on the system. Verify if the directory exists or if low-privileged users can create it. Monitor wvsc.exe process execution and file access to the OpenSSL configuration path.

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Impact Analysis

This vulnerability allows low-privileged local attackers to escalate privileges to SYSTEM. Attackers can execute arbitrary code with the highest system privileges, potentially gaining full control over the affected system. This could lead to complete system compromise, data theft, or further network infiltration.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR or HIPAA as it is a local privilege escalation issue in Acunetix software. However, if exploited, it could lead to unauthorized system access, potentially compromising sensitive data handled by the application. This may indirectly impact compliance by enabling data breaches or unauthorized access to protected health or personal information.

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Mitigation Strategies

Update Acunetix to the latest version if a patch is available. Restrict write permissions to the OpenSSL directory path to prevent unauthorized file creation. Remove or secure the hardcoded directory path in wvsc.exe to prevent loading from untrusted locations.

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