CVE-2026-94576 in Fabric OS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/08/2026
An authentication logic and privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the account management interface of Brocade Fabric OS versions before 9.2.2d and 10.0.0 through 10.0.0a1. Under specific conditions, an authenticated user can bypass authorization restrictions intended to prevent modifying another account's access privileges. Exploitation allows a lower-privileged user to assign administrative roles to a target account, leading to localized privilege escalation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/08/2026
The vulnerability identified in Brocade Fabric OS versions prior to 9.2.2d and within the 10.0.0 through 10.0.0a1 release cycle represents a critical flaw in the access control mechanisms governing account management operations. This issue is classified as an authentication logic error coupled with privilege escalation, specifically falling under CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management. The core technical deficiency lies within the backend validation routines that process requests for modifying user permissions. While the system correctly authenticates users and verifies their current role level to allow access to the account management interface, it fails to enforce strict authorization checks on the specific target of those modifications. This architectural oversight means that while a lower-privileged user is permitted to view or interact with other accounts in certain contexts, they are not properly restricted from altering the security attributes associated with those accounts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability allows an authenticated attacker with low-level privileges to bypass intended authorization restrictions. By crafting specific requests to the account management interface, the malicious actor can assign administrative roles and elevated access rights to a target user account under their control or influence. This action effectively circumvents the principle of least privilege that is fundamental to secure network infrastructure design. Once these permissions are modified, the targeted account gains unauthorized administrative capabilities within the Brocade Fabric environment. This localized privilege escalation enables the attacker to perform sensitive operations such as modifying fabric configurations, accessing restricted storage resources, and potentially disrupting service availability for other users on the same SAN (Storage Area Network).
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts, where attackers leverage legitimate credentials to gain access. Furthermore, it relates to T1098 Authorized Impersonation or Privilege Escalation via Account Manipulation, as the attacker modifies account properties to increase their own influence within the system. The exploitation does not require remote code execution or complex buffer overflow techniques; instead, it relies on logical flaws in how permission changes are validated against the requester's current role hierarchy. This makes detection through traditional signature-based intrusion prevention systems difficult unless specific behavioral analytics monitoring for unusual privilege modification events is implemented.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate patching to address the underlying code defect responsible for the authorization bypass. Organizations running affected versions of Brocade Fabric OS should upgrade to version 9.2.2d or later, which includes corrections for this logic flaw. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible due to operational constraints, strict network segmentation and enhanced monitoring are recommended as compensating controls. Security teams should implement rigorous auditing of account management activities, specifically tracking changes to user roles and permissions. Alerting mechanisms should be configured to notify administrators whenever a lower-privileged user attempts to modify the attributes of another account or when administrative privileges are granted outside of standard operational workflows. Regular review of access control lists and adherence to strict role-based access policies can further reduce the risk surface associated with this type of logical vulnerability.