# CVE-2025-26467: Apache Cassandra: User with MODIFY permission on ALL KEYSPACES can escalate privileges to superuser via unsafe actions (4.0.16 only)

> Users with MODIFY permissions on all keyspaces can escalate to superuser privileges via unsafe actions in Apache Cassandra.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 25 Aug 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-66675, AZL-66698, BIT-cassandra-2025-26467, GHSA-5c4f-pxmx-xcm4, MINI-34w9-v8jh-6837, MINI-7w3x-5cr3-6598, MINI-jr64-3chw-9w3p

## What is CVE-2025-26467?

CVE-2025-26467 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apache Cassandra, published on 25 Aug 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Privilege Defined With Unsafe Actions vulnerability in Apache Cassandra. An user with MODIFY permission ON ALL KEYSPACES can escalate privileges to superuser within a targeted Cassandra cluster via unsafe actions to a system resource. Operators granting data MODIFY permission on all keyspaces on affected versions should review data access rules for potential breaches.

This issue affects Apache Cassandra 3.0.30, 3.11.17, 4.0.16, 4.1.7, 5.0.2, but this advisory is only for 4.0.16 because the fix to CVE-2025-23015 was incorrectly applied to 4.0.16, so that version is still affected.

Users in the 4.0 series are recommended to upgrade to version 4.0.17 which fixes the issue. Users from 3.0, 3.11, 4.1 and 5.0 series should follow recommendation from CVE-2025-23015.

Weakness: CWE-267 (Privilege Defined With Unsafe Actions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-26467?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all and cassandra. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all` | Maven | From 4.0.16 | 4.0.17 |
| `org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all` | Maven | From 4.0.16 | 4.0.17 |
| `cassandra` | Bitnami | From 4.0.16 | 4.0.17 |

Products: Apache Cassandra.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-26467?

Upgrade org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all to 4.0.17 or later.

## Is CVE-2025-26467 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-26467 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apache Cassandra

- [CVE-2016-3427](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-3427/): Oracle Java SE and JRockit Unspecified (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2018-8016](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-8016/): Missing Authentication for Critical Function in Apache Cassandra (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-44521](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-44521/): Remote code execution for scripted UDFs (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2026-27314](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-27314/): Apache Cassandra: Privilege escalation via ADD IDENTITY authorization bypass (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2025-23015](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-23015/): Apache Cassandra: User with MODIFY permission on ALL KEYSPACES can escalate privileges to superuser via unsafe actions (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-26467 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-26467 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apache Cassandra, published on 25 Aug 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-26467 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all (Maven): affected from 4.0.16; fixed in 4.0.17
- org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all (Maven): affected from 4.0.16; fixed in 4.0.17
- cassandra (Bitnami): affected from 4.0.16; fixed in 4.0.17

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-26467/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-26467/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-26467
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-26467
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-26467

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-26467/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.