CVE-2026-86762 in Snipe-IT
Summary
by MITRE • 09/09/2026
Snipe-IT before 8.7.0 does not apply the CheckUserIsActivated middleware to the `api` middleware group in app/Http/Kernel.php, and deactivating a user does not revoke that user's Passport personal access tokens. As a result, although a deactivated account is correctly refused at web login, its existing API token continues to authenticate and to grant read and write access to the REST API (assets, users, licenses, etc.) at the account's prior permission level until the token expires. A deactivated account that retains user-management permissions can re-activate itself through the API, permanently defeating the deactivation control.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/09/2026
The vulnerability identified in Snipe-IT versions prior to 8.7.0 represents a critical authentication bypass and authorization failure within the application's RESTful API layer. The core technical flaw stems from an inconsistency in middleware configuration where the CheckUserIsActivated middleware is not applied to the api middleware group defined in app/Http/Kernel.php. This architectural oversight means that while the web interface correctly enforces user activation status during standard HTTP requests, the API endpoints remain accessible to users who have been administratively deactivated. The system relies on Laravel Passport for token-based authentication, and when a user account is deactivated, their existing personal access tokens are not revoked or invalidated by the backend logic. Consequently, these tokens continue to be accepted as valid credentials by the API server, allowing the compromised or disabled account to maintain full operational capability until the token naturally expires according its predefined lifespan.
From an operational impact perspective, this flaw allows a deactivated user to retain read and write access to sensitive resources including assets, users, licenses, and other inventory data at their previously granted permission level. The severity of this issue is significantly amplified by the fact that if the deactivated account possesses administrative or user-management permissions, it can exploit the API endpoints to re-activate its own profile. This self-re-activation capability effectively nullifies any security controls intended to restrict access for terminated employees or compromised accounts, creating a persistent backdoor into the system. An attacker with knowledge of an existing valid token from such an account could maintain long-term unauthorized access without detection by standard administrative reviews that only check current login status rather than active session validity across all authentication vectors.
This vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-287 Improper Authentication, as the application fails to properly verify the identity and authorization state of a user during API requests despite having valid credentials. It also relates to CWE-613 Insufficient Session Expiration, since the system does not invalidate sessions or tokens upon account deactivation events. In terms of adversary tactics, this flaw facilitates ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts, where an attacker uses legitimate but misconfigured accounts to maintain persistence within a network environment. The ability for a deactivated user to re-activate themselves further supports the persistence aspect of threat actor behavior, allowing them to bypass standard offboarding procedures and retain control over critical infrastructure components indefinitely.
To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations running Snipe-IT versions prior to 8.7.0 must upgrade immediately to version 8.7.0 or later where these middleware configurations have been corrected. For environments unable to patch instantly due to operational constraints, a temporary mitigation involves manually revoking all personal access tokens for any users who are deactivated through the administrative interface. Additionally, implementing strict token expiration policies with shorter lifespans can reduce the window of opportunity for exploitation. Security teams should also audit API logs for unusual activity from recently deactivated accounts and consider implementing additional middleware checks that explicitly validate user activation status on every API request regardless of the presence of a valid access token.