# CVE-2026-25770: Wazuh has Privilege Escalation to Root via Cluster Protocol File Write

> Authenticated attackers can escalate privileges to root by overwriting configuration files via the cluster protocol, enabling remote code execution.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 17 Mar 2026
- **Updated:** 18 Mar 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-r4f7-v3p6-79jm

## What is CVE-2026-25770?

CVE-2026-25770 is a critical vulnerability in Wazuh Wazuh, published on 17 Mar 2026. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Wazuh is a free and open source platform used for threat prevention, detection, and response. Starting in version 3.9.0 and prior to version 4.14.3, a privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Wazuh Manager's cluster synchronization protocol. The `wazuh-clusterd` service allows authenticated nodes to write arbitrary files to the manager’s file system with the permissions of the `wazuh` system user. Due to insecure default permissions, the `wazuh` user has write access to the manager's main configuration file (`/var/ossec/etc/ossec.conf`). By leveraging the cluster protocol to overwrite `ossec.conf`, an attacker can inject a malicious `<localfile>` command block. The `wazuh-logcollector` service, which runs as root, parses this configuration and executes the injected command. This chain allows an attacker with cluster credentials to gain full Root Remote Code Execution, violating the principle of least privilege and bypassing the intended security model. Version 4.14.3 fixes the issue.

Weakness: CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource), CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management), CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-25770?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Wazuh Wazuh.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-25770?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-25770 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-25770 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-25770 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Wazuh Wazuh

- [CVE-2025-24016](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-24016/): Wazuh Server Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-32038](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-32038/): Wazuh Analysis Engine Event Decoder Heap-based Buffer Overflow Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-44079](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-44079/): Command injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-1243](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-1243/): Remote code execution and local privilege escalation in Wazuh Windows agent via NetNTLMv2 hash theft (critical 9.5)
- [CVE-2026-61800](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-61800/): Wazuh cluster worker file sync allows arbitrary file write under /var/ossec (incomplete fix for CVE-2026-30893) (critical 9.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-25770 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-25770 is a critical vulnerability in Wazuh Wazuh, published on 17 Mar 2026. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-25770 exists.

Affected product: Wazuh Wazuh. 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-2026-25770/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-25770/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-25770
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-25770
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-25770

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-25770/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.