CVE-2026-79800 in ClearPass Policy Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 10/06/2026
An authenticated path traversal vulnerability exists in the command line interface of ClearPass Policy Manager. Successful exploitation could allow a low-privileged authenticated remote attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges on the underlying operating system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2026
The identified vulnerability represents a critical security flaw within the command line interface (CLI) of Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager, specifically manifesting as an authenticated path traversal issue. This type of vulnerability arises when software fails to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied input before using it in file system operations. In this specific context, the CLI component accepts commands from users who have already established authentication with the application but holds only low-privileged access rights. The core technical failure lies in the insufficient separation between the intended operational directory and the broader file system hierarchy of the underlying operating system. By manipulating input parameters to include relative path sequences such as dot-dot-slash, an attacker can redirect file read or write operations beyond their designated scope. This lack of strict boundary enforcement allows the application to access files and directories that should remain inaccessible to users with standard permissions, effectively bypassing the intended security controls designed to isolate user data and system configurations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for privilege escalation. Although an attacker begins with low-privileged credentials, the ability to traverse paths enables them to interact with sensitive system files that are typically protected by higher-level access control lists. By reading critical configuration files or logs, an attacker can gather intelligence about the network environment, including IP addresses, user accounts, and security policies. More critically, if the vulnerability allows for file writes or command injection through these traversed paths, it facilitates arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges on the host operating system. This transforms a minor account compromise into a complete takeover of the ClearPass server, which serves as a central authentication and authorization point in many enterprise networks. Such access could lead to unauthorized network entry, data exfiltration, or disruption of critical identity management services, thereby compromising the integrity and availability of the entire security infrastructure dependent on this platform.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) identifiers such as CWE-22 Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory, which describes scenarios where software does not properly neutralize special elements within file paths that can resolve to directories outside the restricted location. Additionally, because the exploitation involves an authenticated user leveraging insufficient access controls to perform actions beyond their authorization level, it also relates to CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management and CWE-732 Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource. In terms of adversary tactics, this flaw supports techniques found in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to Discovery where attackers gather information about the system environment, and Execution if the path traversal is leveraged to inject or run malicious scripts with higher privileges. The scenario exemplifies how authentication alone does not guarantee security; proper input validation and strict file system access controls are essential even for low-privileged accounts interacting with administrative interfaces like CLIs.
Mitigation strategies must focus on both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The primary defense is the implementation of rigorous input validation within the CLI parsing logic to ensure that all path components are canonicalized and verified against an allowlist of permitted directories before any file system operation occurs. Developers should utilize operating-system-level APIs for path resolution rather than string manipulation, as these methods inherently handle relative paths more securely. Furthermore, applying the principle of least privilege is crucial; even authenticated users with low privileges should not have direct access to CLI commands that interact directly with the underlying OS file structure unless absolutely necessary. If such interaction is required, it must be abstracted through a secure API layer that enforces its own validation and authorization checks. Organizations running affected versions of ClearPass Policy Manager should apply vendor-provided patches immediately to close this gap. In addition to patching, network segmentation can help limit the blast radius by ensuring that systems with compromised low-privileged accounts cannot easily reach other critical infrastructure components. Continuous monitoring for unusual file access patterns or unexpected privilege changes on these servers will also aid in detecting potential exploitation attempts before significant damage occurs.