# CVE-2026-15265: Tenable Agent Path Traversal Leading to Remote Code Execution

> A privileged attacker can exploit a path traversal flaw in Tenable Agent to write arbitrary files, potentially achieving remote code execution.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.3 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Jul 2026
- **Updated:** 14 Jul 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-h23h-6wgx-rvw7

## What is CVE-2026-15265?

CVE-2026-15265 is a critical path traversal vulnerability in tenable_agent, published on 14 Jul 2026. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A path traversal vulnerability in Tenable Agent 11.2.0 and 11.1.3 and lower allows a privileged attacker to write arbitrary files outside the intended plugin directory, potentially leading to remote code execution.

Weakness: CWE-347 (Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature), CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-15265?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Tenable Nessus Agent.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-15265?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-15265 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-15265 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-15265 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in tenable_agent

- [CVE-2025-36633](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-36633/): Local Privilege Escalation (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2025-36631](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-36631/): Local Privilege Escalation (high 8.4)
- [CVE-2025-36632](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-36632/): Local Privilege Escalation (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2021-20117](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20117/): Privilege escalation in Nessus Agent (medium 6.7)
- [CVE-2021-20118](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20118/): Privilege escalation in Nessus Agent (medium 6.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-15265 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-15265 is a critical path traversal vulnerability in tenable_agent, published on 14 Jul 2026. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-15265 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: tenable_agent. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

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-2026-15265/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-15265/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-15265
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-15265
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-15265

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-15265/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.