CVE-2026-76524 in Open Source Snort
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2026
A vulnerability in the control channel socket implementation of Open Source Snort 3 could allow an authenticated, local attacker with low privileges to execute arbitrary commands as the Snort 3 process user.
This vulnerability is due to a lack of authentication when a local user connects to the Snort control channel socket. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by connecting to the Snort 3 control channel socket as a local user. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands as well as read and write Snort 3 process memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2026
The identified security flaw resides within the control channel socket implementation of Open Source Snort 3, presenting a critical authentication bypass that compromises the integrity of the intrusion detection system's management interface. This vulnerability stems from an insufficient access control mechanism where the application fails to verify the identity or privileges of local users attempting to establish a connection with the control socket. In a properly secured environment, any interaction with administrative interfaces should require robust authentication protocols to ensure that only authorized personnel can issue commands or modify configurations. However, in this specific implementation, the absence of such checks allows any local user account on the host system, regardless of its privilege level, to interact directly with the Snort process. This design oversight effectively lowers the barrier for exploitation from requiring high-level administrative access to merely possessing a standard low-privilege shell or terminal session on the affected machine.
From an operational perspective, this lack of authentication enables an authenticated local attacker with minimal privileges to execute arbitrary commands within the context of the user account under which Snort 3 is running. The impact extends beyond simple command execution; successful exploitation grants the adversary the ability to read and write directly to the memory space of the Snort process. This capability allows for sophisticated attacks such as injecting malicious code, altering detection rules in real-time to evade security monitoring, or extracting sensitive data processed by the IDS. By manipulating the control channel, an attacker can effectively neutralize the defensive capabilities of Snort 3 while maintaining a persistent foothold on the network infrastructure. The ability to write to process memory is particularly dangerous as it may facilitate further exploitation techniques including code injection and privilege escalation vectors that leverage the elevated permissions typically held by security daemons.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which describes Improper Authentication, specifically highlighting scenarios where an actor is able to bypass authentication mechanisms due to weak or missing checks. Furthermore, in terms of offensive tactics, this flaw facilitates ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter, as it allows for the execution of arbitrary commands through a legitimate administrative interface that has been compromised via privilege abuse rather than direct exploitation of code logic errors. The attack vector is classified as Local (L) with Low complexity (L), indicating that while no network exposure is required, the ease of access makes this a high-risk issue within environments where multiple users share system accounts or where least-privilege principles are not strictly enforced for security services.
To mitigate this risk, immediate remediation should focus on implementing strict authentication requirements for all connections to the Snort control channel socket. This involves integrating robust credential verification mechanisms that ensure only authorized administrators can interact with the management interface. Additionally, organizations should enforce principle of least privilege by running the Snort 3 process under a dedicated service account with minimal permissions, thereby limiting the potential impact if an attacker does manage to gain access. Regular auditing of local user privileges and monitoring for unauthorized connection attempts to administrative sockets are also recommended defensive measures. Updating to patched versions that address this authentication bypass is essential for maintaining the security posture of networks relying on Snort 3 for intrusion detection and prevention.