CVE-2026-20163 Remote Command Execution (RCE) through the '/splunkd/__upload/indexing/preview' REST endpoint in Splunk Enterprise
Privileged users can execute arbitrary shell commands via the indexing preview REST endpoint in Splunk Enterprise and Cloud Platform.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- An administrator
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-20163?
CVE-2026-20163 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Splunk Splunk, published on 11 Mar 2026. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Official description
In Splunk Enterprise versions below 10.2.0, 10.0.4, 9.4.9, and 9.3.10, and Splunk Cloud Platform versions below 10.2.2510.5, 10.0.2503.12, 10.1.2507.16, and 9.3.2411.124, a user who holds a role that contains the high-privilege capability `edit_cmd` could execute arbitrary shell commands using the `unarchive_cmd` parameter for the `/splunkd/__upload/indexing/preview` REST endpoint.
Weakness: CWE-77
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-20163?
It affects 2 products.
Products include Splunk Splunk, Splunk Splunk Cloud Platform.
How do I fix CVE-2026-20163?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-20163 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade, and pass arguments to programs as a list instead of through a shell. More about Command injection.
Is CVE-2026-20163 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-20163 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Splunk Splunk
- CVE-2026-20253 Splunk Enterprise Missing Authentication for Critical Function
- CVE-2026-76268 Missing Authentication for Critical Function in the Patroni REST API in Splunk Enterprise
- CVE-2026-76284 Improper Neutralization in Splunk Enterprise
- CVE-2026-76285 Improper Adherence to Coding Standards in Splunk Enterprise
- CVE-2017-17067 Auth bypass in n/a
Sources
Also known as GHSA-7vjc-jh6c-q29g.