CVE-2026-76328 in Splunk
Summary
by MITRE • 08/20/2026
In Splunk Enterprise versions below 10.4.1, 10.2.6, 10.0.9, and 9.4.14, a user who holds the "power" Splunk role could store attacker-controlled Search Processing Language (SPL) in a dashboard. When another authenticated user exports the dashboard as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file, Splunk Enterprise runs the injected SPL using the permissions of that user. The injected SPL could access or modify data available to that user. The vulnerability is possible because Splunk Web does not sufficiently validate dashboard content before processing PDF exports. The vulnerability requires the attacker to phish the affected user by tricking them into initiating a request within their browser. The user who holds the "power" Splunk role should not be able to exploit the vulnerability at will. For more information see Generate PDFs of your reports and dashboards (https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/create-dashboards-and-reports/reporting-manual/9.4/report-management/generate-pdfs-of-your-reports-and-dashboards) in the Splunk documentation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/20/2026
The vulnerability identified in Splunk Enterprise versions prior to 10.4.1, 10.2.6, 10.0.9, and 9.4.14 represents a critical security flaw rooted in insufficient input validation within the web application layer. Specifically, this issue affects the dashboard export functionality where the system fails to adequately sanitize or validate Search Processing Language (SPL) commands embedded by users with elevated privileges before processing them for PDF generation. This architectural weakness allows an attacker possessing the Splunk power role to inject malicious SPL code into a dashboard configuration. The core technical flaw lies in the lack of rigorous sanitization checks when the system prepares content for export, effectively treating user-supplied input as trusted executable logic during the rendering process rather than validating it against safe execution patterns or restricting dangerous commands based on context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant because it facilitates a chain of events that leads to unauthorized data access and potential modification. When an authenticated victim user exports the compromised dashboard to a Portable Document Format file, Splunk Enterprise executes the injected SPL code using the permissions associated with that specific victim account. This means that if the victim has read or write access to sensitive datasets, the malicious search queries will run under those credentials, allowing the attacker to exfiltrate confidential information or alter data records without direct authentication as an administrator. The attack vector relies heavily on social engineering, requiring the adversary to phish the target user into initiating a request within their browser that triggers the dashboard export action. This dependency on user interaction makes it difficult for users with only power-level privileges to exploit the flaw autonomously, but once they are tricked by a phishing campaign, the consequences can be severe depending on the victim's access level.
From an industry standards perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-79, which describes Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation commonly known as Cross-Site Scripting or injection flaws, although in this specific context it manifests more accurately as Server-Side Request Forgery logic execution via injected code rather than client-side script injection. Furthermore, the exploitation technique maps to MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to Initial Access through phishing and subsequent Execution of commands within a trusted application environment. The attacker leverages legitimate administrative features for malicious purposes, bypassing traditional perimeter defenses by operating entirely within the authenticated session context of a compromised user account. This highlights the risk associated with overly permissive roles like power users who can modify dashboard configurations but should not have unrestricted ability to execute arbitrary search logic that impacts other users' data integrity or confidentiality during automated processes such as report generation.
Mitigation strategies must focus on both immediate patching and long-term architectural improvements. The primary remediation is to upgrade Splunk Enterprise to version 10.4.1, 10.2.6, 10.0.9, or 9.4.14 or later, where the vendor has implemented stricter validation rules for dashboard content prior to PDF export processing. In addition to patching, organizations should enforce strict role-based access control policies by minimizing the number of users assigned the power role and ensuring that these accounts do not have unnecessary write permissions on dashboards containing sensitive data. Security teams should also implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual patterns in SPL execution during report generation events, particularly those originating from dashboard exports initiated by non-administrative users. Regular security awareness training is essential to reduce the success rate of phishing attempts aimed at tricking employees into performing actions that trigger these vulnerable code paths within the Splunk platform.