# CVE-2026-83805: Nautobot: Authorization bypass in approval workflow REST API allows self-approval and unauthorized activation of scheduled jobs

> Attackers can bypass approval workflows to self-approve and activate scheduled jobs, leading to unauthorized privilege escalation and data modification.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A: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:** 22 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 26 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-q4c5-2j6f-r476, PYSEC-2026-4111

## What is CVE-2026-83805?

CVE-2026-83805 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in nautobot, published on 22 Sep 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Nautobot is a Network Source of Truth and Network Automation Platform. From 3.0.0 until 3.1.8, the generic ApprovalWorkflowStageResponse create endpoint does not enforce approver-group membership, change permission on the object under review, or the one-response-per-user restriction applied by the intended approve and deny actions. A user with only extras.add_approvalworkflowstageresponse can submit approved responses directly, while writable user and state fields permit responses to be attributed to arbitrary users. These forged responses can satisfy min_approvers, approve the workflow, and activate its gated ScheduledJob without a legitimate approver. This issue is fixed in version 3.1.8.

Weakness: CWE-639 (Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key), CWE-285 (Improper Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-83805?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including nautobot.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `nautobot` | PyPI | From 3.0.0 | 3.1.8 |
| `nautobot` | PyPI | From 3.0.0 | 3.1.8 |
| `nautobot` | PyPI | From 3.0.0 | 3.1.8 |

## How do I fix CVE-2026-83805?

Upgrade nautobot to 3.1.8 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-83805 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-83805 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-83805 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-83805 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in nautobot, published on 22 Sep 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-2026-83805 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- nautobot (PyPI): affected from 3.0.0; fixed in 3.1.8
- nautobot (PyPI): affected from 3.0.0; fixed in 3.1.8
- nautobot (PyPI): affected from 3.0.0; fixed in 3.1.8

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-2026-83805/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-83805/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-83805
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-83805
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-83805

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-83805/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.