authentik is an open-source identity provider. In versions prior to 2025.12.5 and 2026.2.0-rc1 through 2026.2.2, the PATCH /api/v3/core/users/{pk}/ API allows a caller with change_user on a target user to assign arbitrary groups through UserSerializer, including groups with is_superuser=True, without requiring enable_group_superuser, leading to privilege escalation. This bypasses the stricter permission model enforced in group-management paths and enables delegated user-management permissions to escalate target users to administrator-equivalent privilege. Users with permissions to update groups or permissions to update users are able to add themselves or other users they have permissions on to users which have superuser permissions. This issue has been fixed in versions 22025.12.5 and 2026.2.3.
References
Configurations
No configuration.
History
22 May 2026, 19:19
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| New CVE |
Information
Published : 2026-05-22 19:17
Updated : 2026-05-22 19:19
NVD link : CVE-2026-40172
Mitre link : CVE-2026-40172
CVE.ORG link : CVE-2026-40172
JSON object : View
Products Affected
No product.
CWE
CWE-269
Improper Privilege Management
