# CVE-2026-85514: StackStorm st2 API Key auth.py privileges management

> Remote attackers can escalate privileges via improper management of API key user arguments in the StackStorm st2 API Key Handler.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P`)
- **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:** 4 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 4 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-7pr7-27f4-hvhf

## What is CVE-2026-85514?

CVE-2026-85514 is a medium-severity vulnerability in StackStorm st2, published on 4 Sep 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A security vulnerability has been detected in StackStorm st2 up to 3.9.0. Impacted is an unknown function of the file st2api/st2api/controllers/v1/auth.py of the component API Key Handler. Such manipulation of the argument api_key_api.user leads to improper privilege management. The attack may be performed from remote. The exploit has been disclosed publicly and may be used. The project was informed of the problem early through an issue report but has not responded yet.

Weakness: CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management), CWE-266 (Incorrect Privilege Assignment)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-85514?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-85514?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-85514 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-85514 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-85514 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-85514 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-85514 is a medium-severity vulnerability in StackStorm st2, published on 4 Sep 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-85514 exists.

Affected product: StackStorm st2. 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-2026-85514/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-85514/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-85514
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-85514
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-85514

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-85514/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.