CVE-2026-13068 in Server
Summary
by MITRE • 07/22/2026
An authenticated user holding cursor termination privileges on one database may incorrectly be permitted to terminate active cursors on a separate database, disrupting ongoing query operations for other users. The behavior stems from an authorization check that does not correctly scope privileges to the appropriate namespace.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/22/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical authorization flaw that undermines database security boundaries and can lead to significant operational disruptions. The issue manifests when a user with cursor termination privileges in one database is incorrectly granted the ability to terminate cursors in a different database, creating an unauthorized cross-database access vector. This misconfiguration occurs due to insufficient scope validation during authorization checks, allowing privilege escalation across database namespaces and violating fundamental security principles of data isolation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper access control mechanisms that fail to enforce proper namespace boundaries when validating cursor termination requests. The authorization system does not adequately verify that the user's privileges align with the specific database context where the cursor operation is occurring, creating a privilege leak that can be exploited by authenticated users who possess cursor termination rights in one database but not others. This flaw directly relates to cwe-284 which describes improper access control and can be categorized under attack technique t1078 for valid accounts and t1566 for credential stuffing or privilege escalation attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple disruption of query operations to potentially compromise database integrity and availability. When unauthorized cursor termination occurs, it can interrupt ongoing transactions, cause application failures, and result in data consistency issues across multiple user sessions. This disruption affects not only the immediate target of the attack but also other users whose queries are terminated, creating cascading effects that can impact business continuity and system reliability. Database administrators may experience difficulty in troubleshooting as the unauthorized terminations appear to originate from legitimate user accounts.
Mitigation strategies must focus on implementing proper namespace scoping for all database operations involving cursor management and privilege validation. Organizations should enforce strict access control policies that ensure authorization checks validate both user credentials and database context before granting cursor termination privileges. The implementation of principle of least privilege should be reinforced, requiring explicit permissions for each database context where cursor operations are permitted. Additionally, logging and monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect anomalous cursor termination patterns across database boundaries, enabling rapid identification of potential exploitation attempts and supporting forensic analysis when incidents occur.