CVE-2026-45165 in Idira Secrets Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 10/15/2026
An authorization flaw in Idira Conjur version 13.9.0 allows an authenticated user with limited privileges to perform unauthorized actions on a policy branch. Under specific circumstances, an attacker could potentially leverage this to retrieve unauthorized secrets, alter administrative access controls on the branch or cause a denial of service (DoS). Idira Security Bulletin CA26-38.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2026
The vulnerability identified in Idira Conjur version 13.9.0 represents a critical failure in role-based access control mechanisms, specifically classified under CWE-269 Improper Control of Interaction Between Multiple Privileged Entities or more accurately as an Authorization Bypass through User-Controlled Key (CWE-284) when applied to policy branches. This flaw allows an authenticated user who possesses only limited privileges within the Conjur environment to execute actions that should be restricted to administrators or users with higher-level permissions on a specific policy branch. The core technical issue lies in the insufficient validation of access rights during request processing, where the system fails to correctly enforce the principle of least privilege for certain administrative operations associated with policy structures rather than just secret retrieval.
From an operational perspective, this authorization flaw creates significant security risks that extend beyond simple data leakage. An attacker leveraging this vulnerability can potentially retrieve secrets stored within the targeted branch that are intended to be protected from lower-privileged users. Furthermore, because the flaw permits alterations to administrative access controls on the policy branch itself, a malicious actor could modify permissions for other users or service accounts, effectively escalating their own privileges and establishing persistent backdoor access without detection by standard audit logs focused solely on secret usage rather than structural changes. In more severe scenarios, the ability to manipulate these policies can lead to a denial of service condition by disrupting legitimate authentication flows or corrupting policy integrity, thereby impacting the availability of critical services dependent on Conjur for credential management.
This type of vulnerability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts and specifically relates to privilege escalation within cloud infrastructure environments where identity providers manage granular access policies. The ability to alter administrative controls suggests a potential path toward lateral movement if the compromised branch governs resources across multiple systems or services integrated with Conjur. Attackers can use this foothold to expand their influence over the broader security architecture, making it essential for organizations to treat such flaws as high-severity incidents requiring immediate remediation rather than low-priority configuration adjustments.
To mitigate these risks, administrators must ensure that Idira Conjur is updated to a patched version where the authorization logic has been corrected to strictly enforce branch-level permissions regardless of user role assumptions. Additionally, implementing strict monitoring and alerting on policy modification events can help detect unauthorized changes in real-time. Organizations should also review their existing access policies to identify any branches with overly permissive configurations that might exacerbate this vulnerability if not patched immediately. Regular audits of administrative privileges and adherence to the principle of least privilege are critical defensive measures against exploitation of such authorization bypass flaws.