# CVE-2026-6482: Local Privilege Escalation via OpenSSL configuration file in Insight Agent

> Unprivileged users can achieve SYSTEM-level code execution on Windows hosts by planting a malicious OpenSSL configuration file in a writable directory.

- **Severity:** High 8.5 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L/SC:H/SI:H/SA:L/E:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 17 Apr 2026
- **Updated:** 18 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6rgm-mxx7-qxmc

## What is CVE-2026-6482?

CVE-2026-6482 is a high-severity vulnerability in Rapid7 Insight Agent, published on 17 Apr 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Rapid7 Insight Agent (versions > 4.1.0.2) is vulnerable to a local privilege escalation attack that allows users to gain SYSTEM level control of a Windows host. Upon startup the agent service attempts to load an OpenSSL configuration file from a non-existent directory that is writable by standard users. By planting a crafted openssl.cnf file an attacker can trick the high-privilege service into executing arbitrary commands. This effectively permits an unprivileged user to bypass security controls and achieve a full host compromise under the agent’s SYSTEM level access.

Weakness: CWE-829 (Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-6482?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Rapid7 Insight Agent.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-6482?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-6482 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-6482 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-6482 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Rapid7 Insight Agent

- [CVE-2021-4007](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-4007/): Rapid7 Insight Agent Privilege Escalation (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2019-5629](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5629/): Privilege escalation in Insight Agent (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2026-4482](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-4482/): Insight Agent Private Key Information Disclosure via Inherited File Permissions (medium 6.8)
- [CVE-2026-4837](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-4837/): Eval Injection in Rapid7 Insight Agent (medium 6.6)
- [CVE-2023-2273](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-2273/): Rapid7 Insight Agent Directory Traversal (medium 5.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-6482 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-6482 is a high-severity vulnerability in Rapid7 Insight Agent, published on 17 Apr 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-6482 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Rapid7 Insight 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-2026-6482/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-6482/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-6482
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-6482
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-6482

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-6482/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.