CVE-2026-76399 in AI Toolkit
Summary
by MITRE • 08/20/2026
In Splunk AI Toolkit versions below 6.0.1, a user who holds the "power" Splunk role could modify app-provided scheduled searches to run arbitrary Search Processing Language (SPL) using the permissions of the search owner, which could allow access to all relevant data and affect system integrity. The vulnerability is possible because Splunk AI Toolkit gives the "power" Splunk role permission to modify scheduled searches that run using the permissions of the search owner.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/20/2026
The identified vulnerability in Splunk AI Toolkit versions prior to 6.0.1 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw rooted in improper access control mechanisms within the application's scheduling subsystem. Specifically, the defect allows users assigned with the standard power role to alter scheduled searches that are configured to execute under the context of a different user, typically an administrator or a service account with elevated privileges. This architectural oversight enables attackers to inject arbitrary Search Processing Language commands into these scheduled tasks, effectively bypassing the intended permission boundaries and executing code with the higher-level permissions of the search owner rather than their own limited power role credentials.
From a technical perspective, this flaw constitutes an insecure direct object reference combined with improper privilege management, aligning closely with CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management and CWE-732 Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource. The vulnerability exploits the trust relationship between the application's scheduling engine and the user context associated with each search job. By modifying the underlying definition of a scheduled search, an attacker can replace legitimate analytical queries with malicious SPL statements designed to exfiltrate sensitive data, modify system configurations, or execute external commands if such capabilities are enabled within the Splunk environment. This manipulation occurs without requiring authentication as the target user, relying instead on the ability to edit existing objects that possess higher privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, potentially leading to a complete compromise of the Splunk infrastructure and the data it indexes. An attacker leveraging this flaw can access all relevant indexed data regardless of their assigned role restrictions, resulting in significant confidentiality breaches. Furthermore, by executing arbitrary commands or modifying system settings through the elevated context, the integrity of the security information and event management platform is compromised. This could allow for further lateral movement within the network, persistence mechanisms to be established via modified scheduled tasks, and potential denial of service conditions if malicious queries are designed to consume excessive computational resources.
This vulnerability maps directly to several tactics in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly T1078 Valid Accounts where attackers use legitimate credentials with elevated privileges obtained through privilege escalation, and T1543 Create or Modify System Process which covers the modification of scheduled tasks for persistence or execution purposes. The ability to run arbitrary SPL also touches upon T1620 Abuse Execution Privileges as it allows actions that should be restricted by role-based access control policies. Organizations relying on Splunk AI Toolkit must recognize that this flaw undermines the fundamental principle of least privilege, allowing lower-privileged users to perform high-level administrative or data-access functions through indirect means.
To mitigate this risk, immediate action is required to upgrade the Splunk AI Toolkit application to version 6.0.1 or later, where these permission checks have been corrected to ensure that only authorized roles can modify scheduled searches running under different user contexts. In addition to patching, administrators should review and tighten role-based access controls within their Splunk environment, ensuring that the power role does not possess write permissions for critical system objects unless absolutely necessary. Implementing strict audit logging for changes to scheduled searches and monitoring for unusual SPL patterns can provide early detection of exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on privilege escalation vectors are also recommended to identify similar misconfigurations in other enterprise applications that manage user-specific tasks or jobs.