# CVE-2026-23981: Apache Superset: Improper Authorization in Chart Update allowing Dashboard Modification

> Authenticated users can modify dashboards they do not own by associating charts with them via the API, bypassing ownership checks.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **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:** 30 Jul 2026
- **Updated:** 30 Jul 2026
- **Also known as:** BIT-superset-2026-23981, GHSA-m2w6-cg52-6hhj

## What is CVE-2026-23981?

CVE-2026-23981 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Apache Superset, published on 30 Jul 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An Improper Authorization vulnerability exists in Apache Superset allowing an authenticated user with permissions to update charts to modify dashboards they do not own. When updating a chart's properties via the REST API, a user can provide a list of dashboard IDs (dashboards) to associate the chart with. The validation logic in the UpdateChartCommand failed to verify that the user had write permissions for the target dashboards specified in the request body. 

This issue affects Apache Superset: before 6.0.0.

Users are recommended to upgrade to version 6.0.0, which fixes the issue.

Weakness: CWE-285 (Improper Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-23981?

1 open source package ship an affected version, including superset. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `superset` | Bitnami | All versions | 6.0.0 |

Products: Apache Superset.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-23981?

Upgrade superset to 6.0.0 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-23981 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-23981 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apache Superset

- [CVE-2023-27524](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-27524/): Apache Superset Insecure Default Initialization of Resource (high 8.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-27479](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-27479/): SQL injection vulnerability in chart data API (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-8021](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-8021/): Deserialization of Untrusted Data in superset (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-49657](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-49657/): Apache Superset: Stored XSS in Dashboard Title and Chart Title (critical 9.6)
- [CVE-2022-43719](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-43719/): Apache Superset: Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) on accept, request access API (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-23981 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-23981 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Apache Superset, published on 30 Jul 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-23981 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- superset (Bitnami): affected all versions; fixed in 6.0.0

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-2026-23981/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-23981/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-23981
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23981
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-23981

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-23981/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.