Authentication bypass in Nutanix Prism Element allows admin access
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- None
- Impact type
- Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-290.
Summary
Nutanix Acropolis Operating System (AOS) before 7.3.1.18, from 7.5 before 7.5.2 and from 7.6 before 7.6.0.8 is affected. A misconfigured authentication filter in Prism Element accepts a crafted internal management HTTP header and skips authentication (CWE-306). An unauthenticated remote attacker can gain full administrative API access and run root commands on all Controller VMs, which allows cluster destruction and access to VM memory and virtual disks.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-28
Description from the CNA
An unauthenticated remote attacker can bypass authentication and gain full access to administrative API endpoints in Nutanix Prism Element by including a crafted internal management HTTP header. The vulnerability is caused by a misconfiguration in the application's authentication filters. Consequently, the server responds with a Set-Cookie header containing a valid JSESSIONID. This session cookie decodes to a JSON Web Token (JWT) granting maximum cluster administrative privileges. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to execute root-level commands on all Controller VMs (CVMs) in the cluster, leading to complete cluster destruction and unauthorized access to VM memory and virtual disks.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nutanix | Acropolis Operating System (AOS) | before 7.3.1.18; 7.5 to before 7.5.2; 7.6 to before 7.6.0.8 | 7.3.1.18, 7.5.2, 7.6.0.8 | Patch available | CNA |
- Acropolis Operating System (AOS) VendorNutanix Affected before 7.3.1.18; 7.5 to before 7.5.2; 7.6 to before 7.6.0.8 Fixed in 7.3.1.18, 7.5.2, 7.6.0.8 Patch available CNA
Remediation
Upgrade Nutanix Acropolis Operating System (AOS) to fixed version 7.3.1.18, 7.5.2 or 7.6.0.8.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-28
- Fix · CNA Acropolis Operating System (AOS) (Nutanix) Fixed in 7.3.1.18, 7.5.2, 7.6.0.8
Timeline
- 2026-10-16 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-84731
References
More Nutanix vulnerabilities
- TI-2024-11337 Stored Cross-site Scripting (XSS) in Nutanix Prism Central CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.3
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences