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TI-2026-28986 Aliases CVE-2026-40172

authentik: Privilege Escalation via User PATCH: Superuser Group Assignment Bypasses enable_group_superuser

Priority LOW 36CWE-269Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Privilege escalation
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
None · High · High
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-269.

Summary

authentik is an open-source identity provider. In versions prior to 2025.12.5 and 2026.2.0-rc1 through 2026.2.2, the PATCH /api/v3/core/users/{pk}/ API allows a caller with change_user on a target user to assign arbitrary groups through UserSerializer, including groups with is_superuser=True, without requiring enable_group_superuser, leading to privilege escalation. This bypasses the stricter permission model enforced in group-management paths and enables delegated user-management permissions to escalate target users to administrator-equivalent privilege. Users with permissions to update groups or permissions to update users are able to add themselves or other users they have permissions on to users which have superuser permissions. This issue has been fixed in versions 22025.12.5 and 2026.2.3.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00546 46th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed authentik (goauthentik): 2025.12.5, 2026.2.3

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
goauthentikauthentikbefore 2025.12.5; 2026.2.0-rc1 to before 2026.2.32025.12.5, 2026.2.3Patch availableCNA
  • authentik Vendorgoauthentik Affected before 2025.12.5; 2026.2.0-rc1 to before 2026.2.3 Fixed in 2025.12.5, 2026.2.3 Patch available CNA

CPE names Threatist (inferred) · 1

Inferred from how NVD named this product before; not given by a source.

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:goauthentik:authentik:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*——goauthentik
  • cpe:2.3:a:goauthentik:authentik:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions — — ·goauthentik

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA authentik (goauthentik) Fixed in 2025.12.5, 2026.2.3

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-40172
  2. 2026-10-25 EPSS moved to the below the 50th percentile

References

Other 3

  • TI-2026-36603 authentik: SourceStage bypass via empty POST CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2022-07608 authentik vulnerable to Improper Authentication via invitation URL token reuse CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.4
  • TI-2026-36598 authentik: `UserSourceConnection.user` and `GroupSourceConnection.group` are changeable through the API CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2022-22816 authentik allows existing authenticated users to create arbitrary accounts CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.4
  • TI-2026-41431 authentik: Account Takeover via SAML NameID Comment Truncation CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.4
  • TI-2024-25628 Insufficient access control for OAuth2 Device Code flow in authentik CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
See all 44 →

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences