CVE-2026-20297
HIGH 7.2 ALL-YEARSIn Splunk Enterprise versions below 10.4.1, 10.2.5, 10.0.8, 9.4.13, and 9.3.14, and Splunk Cloud Platform versions below 10.5.2605.0, 10.4.2604.6, 10.2.2510.18, and 10.1.2507.24, a user who holds a role that contains the `edit_local_apps` and `install_apps` capabilities could cause a legitimate app installation to write files outside the intended app directory, into `$SPLUNK_HOME/etc/` and its subdirectories.<br><br>The vulnerability is caused by a path traversal in the app installation workflow, which does not restrict the installation path to the intended app directory.
Severe if exploited (CVSS 7.2), but no confirmed exploitation. Patch on a normal cadence.
Exploitation likelihood
0.5%chance of exploitation in 30 days · 40th percentile
Impact if exploited
7.2CVSS 3.1 · HIGH · CNA
- ConfidentialityHigh
- IntegrityHigh
- AvailabilityHigh
What an attacker needs
- ✓Access: Reachable over the network — no local access needed
- ⚠Privileges: Requires an admin / high-privilege account
- ✓User interaction: No user interaction needed
- ✓Complexity: No special conditions — reliably repeatable
✓ lowers the bar for an attacker · ⚠ raises it
Proof of concept & exploit code
No public exploit or proof-of-concept code is catalogued for this CVE (no ExploitDB, Nuclei, or CISA-KEV entry). It may still exist — search GitHub or check the references below.
Weakness (CWE)
- CWE-22: The software uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the software does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Known Affected Software Configurations
| Vendor | Product | Version range |
|---|---|---|
| Splunk | Splunk | ≥ 9.3.0 and < 9.3.14 |
| Splunk | Splunk | ≥ 9.4.0 and < 9.4.13 |
| Splunk | Splunk | ≥ 10.0.0 and < 10.0.8 |
| Splunk | Splunk | ≥ 10.2.0 and < 10.2.5 |
| Splunk | Splunk | 10.4.0 |
| Splunk | Splunk Cloud Platform | ≥ 10.1.2507 and < 10.1.2507.24 |
| Splunk | Splunk Cloud Platform | ≥ 10.2.2510 and < 10.2.2510.18 |
| Splunk | Splunk Cloud Platform | ≥ 10.4.2604 and < 10.4.2604.6 |
All CVSS metrics
- HIGH 7.2 v3.1 · CNA Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - HIGH 7.2 v3.1 · NVD Secondary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H