CVE-2026-76251 in Splunk
Summary
by MITRE • 08/20/2026
In Splunk Enterprise versions below 10.4.2, 10.2.6, and 10.0.9, a user who does not hold the "admin" or "power" Splunk roles could cause the Splunk App for Splunk Observability Cloud to forward requests to Splunk Observability Cloud, including the Splunk Observability Cloud access token stored for the app. With this access, the user could view all relevant data available to that token and make limited changes to Splunk Observability Cloud content. The vulnerability does not affect Splunk Enterprise 9.4 and 9.3 versions. The vulnerability is possible because the app's Representational State Transfer (REST) API endpoint handlers do not enforce the read_o11y_content capability before forwarding requests with the stored access token. For more information see Define roles on the Splunk platform with capabilities (https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/administer/manage-users-and-security/10.2/manage-splunk-platform-users-and-roles/define-roles-on-the-splunk-platform-with-capabilities) in the Splunk documentation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/20/2026
The identified vulnerability resides within the Splunk App for Splunk Observability Cloud when deployed on Splunk Enterprise versions prior to 10.4.2, 10.2.6, and 10.0.9. This security flaw allows users who lack administrative or power-level privileges to exploit a misconfiguration in how the application handles authentication tokens during API interactions. Specifically, the vulnerability stems from an insufficient access control mechanism within the Representational State Transfer REST API endpoint handlers of the app. These endpoints are designed to forward requests to Splunk Observability Cloud using credentials that have been securely stored for the purpose of integration. However, the implementation fails to enforce the read_o11y_content capability before initiating these forwarded requests with the sensitive access token. This oversight creates a critical gap in privilege separation, allowing lower-privileged users to bypass intended restrictions and interact directly with external cloud services using elevated credentials they should not possess.
From a technical perspective, this issue represents a classic case of broken object level authorization where the application logic does not properly validate user permissions against specific capabilities required for sensitive operations. The Splunk platform relies on a role-based access control model where capabilities such as read_o11y_content dictate what data and actions are permissible for a given role. By omitting this check during the forwarding process, the system effectively grants unauthorized users the ability to utilize the stored token as if they were an administrator or power user with full visibility into the observability infrastructure. This flaw is isolated to newer enterprise versions and does not impact Splunk Enterprise 9.4 or 9.3 releases, indicating that it was introduced in later iterations of the software architecture without adequate security hardening during development.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant due to the nature of the data involved. An attacker exploiting this flaw can view all relevant telemetry and monitoring data available to the stored access token. This includes potentially sensitive performance metrics, logs, and traces that may contain proprietary business logic or personal identifiable information depending on the organization's observability setup. Furthermore, beyond passive data exfiltration, the vulnerability permits limited changes to Splunk Observability Cloud content. An adversary could manipulate dashboards, alter alert configurations, or inject false telemetry data, thereby compromising the integrity of monitoring systems and potentially obscuring real security incidents or system failures within the environment.
This incident aligns with several established industry standards for classifying vulnerabilities. It is primarily categorized under CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management, as a user gains capabilities beyond their assigned role. Additionally, it falls under CWE-862 Missing Authorization, since the application fails to enforce proper access controls on API endpoints that handle sensitive resources. In terms of offensive security frameworks, this vulnerability facilitates actions consistent with ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts, where an attacker uses legitimate credentials or tokens obtained through privilege escalation flaws to maintain persistence and move laterally within a cloud environment. The ability to modify content also touches upon aspects of data manipulation that could support further malicious activities such as defacement or evasion of detection mechanisms.
To mitigate this risk, organizations running affected versions of Splunk Enterprise must immediately apply the vendor-provided patches for version 10.4.2, 10.2.6, and 10.0.9. Until patching is complete, administrators should review user roles and capabilities to ensure that no non-administrative users have access to apps or interfaces that interact with Splunk Observability Cloud if such exposure cannot be technically prevented by network segmentation. It is also advisable to audit existing role definitions to verify strict adherence to the principle of least privilege, ensuring that capabilities like read_o11y_content are only granted to roles that genuinely require them for operational functions. Regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on API endpoint authorization logic can help identify similar misconfigurations in other integrated applications within the Splunk ecosystem.