# CVE-2026-76253: Privilege Escalation through Scheduled Search Alert Action Configuration in Splunk Enterprise

> A user with schedule_search capability can execute arbitrary SPL commands with highest privileges and read credentials, leading to full system compromise.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 19 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 27 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-363c-jmr6-7wrh

## What is CVE-2026-76253?

CVE-2026-76253 is a high-severity vulnerability in Splunk Splunk, published on 19 Aug 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In Splunk Enterprise versions below 10.4.2, 10.2.6, 10.0.9, and 9.4.14, a user that holds a role with the schedule_search capability could run arbitrary Search Processing Language (SPL) commands with the highest level of system privilege and read every credential stored in the credential store, which can allow for disclosure and modification of all relevant data and affect system integrity and availability. The vulnerability is possible because scheduled search alert action configuration does not properly restrict user-specific alert action settings before the search scheduler runs alert actions. For more information see Create scheduled alerts (https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/alert-and-respond/alerting-manual/9.3/create-alerts/create-scheduled-alerts), Set up alert actions (https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/alert-and-respond/alerting-manual/9.3/configure-alert-actions/set-up-alert-actions), Define roles on the Splunk platform with capabilities (https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/administer/manage-users-and-security/10.4/manage-splunk-platform-users-and-roles/define-roles-on-the-splunk-platform-with-capabilities), and Configuration file precedence (https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/administer/admin-manual/10.2/administer-splunk-enterprise-with-configuration-files/configuration-file-precedence) in the Splunk documentation.

Weakness: CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-76253?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Splunk Splunk.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-76253?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-76253 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-76253 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-76253 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Splunk Splunk

- [CVE-2026-20253](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-20253/): Splunk Enterprise Missing Authentication for Critical Function (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-76268](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-76268/): Missing Authentication for Critical Function in the Patroni REST API in Splunk Enterprise (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-76284](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-76284/): Improper Neutralization in Splunk Enterprise (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-76285](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-76285/): Improper Adherence to Coding Standards in Splunk Enterprise (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-17067](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-17067/): Auth bypass in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-76253 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-76253 is a high-severity vulnerability in Splunk Splunk, published on 19 Aug 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-2026-76253 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Splunk Splunk. 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-2026-76253/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-76253/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-76253
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-76253
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-76253

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-76253/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.