Weakness (CWE)
CWE-648: Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs
The product does not conform to the API requirements for a function call that requires extra privileges. This could allow attackers to gain privileges by causing the function to be called incorrectly.
More detail
When a product contains certain functions that perform operations requiring an elevated level of privilege, the caller of a privileged API must be careful to:
- ensure that assumptions made by the APIs are valid, such as validity of arguments
- account for known weaknesses in the design/implementation of the API
- call the API from a safe context
If the caller of the API does not follow these requirements, then it may allow a malicious user or process to elevate their privilege, hijack the process, or steal sensitive data.
For instance, it is important to know if privileged APIs do not shed their privileges before returning to the caller or if the privileged function might make certain assumptions about the data, context or state information passed to it by the caller. It is important to always know when and how privileged APIs can be called in order to ensure that their elevated level of privilege cannot be exploited.
How to prevent it (6 mitigations)
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Implementation
Before calling privileged APIs, always ensure that the assumptions made by the privileged code hold true prior to making the call.
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Architecture and Design
Know architecture and implementation weaknesses of the privileged APIs and make sure to account for these weaknesses before calling the privileged APIs to ensure that they can be called safely.
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Implementation
If privileged APIs make certain assumptions about data, context or state validity that are passed by the caller, the calling code must ensure that these assumptions have been validated prior to making the call.
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Implementation
If privileged APIs do not shed their privilege prior to returning to the calling code, then calling code needs to shed these privileges immediately and safely right after the call to the privileged APIs. In particular, the calling code needs to ensure that a privileged thread of execution will never be returned to the user or made available to user-controlled processes.
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Implementation
Only call privileged APIs from safe, consistent and expected state.
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Implementation
Ensure that a failure or an error will not leave a system in a state where privileges are not properly shed and privilege escalation is possible (i.e. fail securely with regards to handling of privileges).
Source: MITRE CWE-648
69 results · Feed
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High 7.3
Ghostscript: reintroduction of .charkeys -dsafer bypass in rhel 8
A flaw was found in Ghostscript as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8. The correction for CVE-2019-14869 was omitted during the rebase from version 9.25 to 9.27, leaving privileged .forceput operations in the .charkeys procedure insufficiently protected.…
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Critical 10.0
Cisco Identity Services Engine Authentication Bypass Vulnerability
A vulnerability in an API of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass authentication. This vulnerability is due to insufficient authentication control on an API endpoint. An attacker could exploit this vul…
KEV Sep 16, 2026 -
High 8.8
Anchore Enterprise Privilege Escalation via User Management API
Anchore Enterprise versions from 5.11.0 to 5.27.1 and 6.0.0 contain an improper privilege escalation vulnerability in the user management API. An authenticated attacker who is able to access the Anchore Enterprise API could issue an API call capable of modify…
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High 8.4CVE-2026-54424 Public exploit
An Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs vulnerability in Unity Parsec on Windows hosts leads to a potential Elevation of Pr…
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Medium 6.3
Missing Authorization Vulnerability in OpenText Access Manager
An unauthorized user can modify configuration through API calls that affects the OpenText Access Manager. This issue affects Access Manager before 5.1.3.
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High 8.9CVE-2026-9560 Public exploit
Privilege escalation via background service of OpenVPN Connect 3.5.1 through 3.8.1 on macOS allows attackers to execute…
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Critical 9.1
iControl REST vulnerability
A vulnerability exists in iControl REST where a highly privileged, authenticated attacker with at least the Manager role can create configuration objects that allow running arbitrary commands. Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Suppo…
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Critical 9.1
OpenClaw < 2026.3.22 - Privilege Escalation via Unbound Bootstrap Setup Codes
OpenClaw before 2026.3.22 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability where bootstrap setup codes are not bound to intended device roles and scopes during pairing. Attackers can exploit this during first-use device pairing to escalate privileges beyond thei…
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Critical 9.9
OpenClaw < 2026.3.31 - Sandbox Bypass via Heartbeat Context Inheritance and senderIsOwner Escalation
OpenClaw before 2026.3.31 contains a sandbox bypass vulnerability allowing attackers to escalate privileges via heartbeat context inheritance and senderIsOwner parameter manipulation. Attackers can exploit improper context validation to bypass sandbox restric…
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High 7.1
Incorrect use of boot service in the AMD Platform Configuration Blob (APCB) SMM driver could allow a privileged attacke…
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High 8.8
OpenClaw < 2026.3.25 - Privilege Escalation via Gateway Plugin HTTP Authentication Scope
OpenClaw before 2026.3.25 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability in gateway-authenticated plugin HTTP routes that incorrectly mint operator.admin runtime scope regardless of caller-granted scopes. Attackers can exploit this scope boundary bypass to gai…
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High 8.8
OpenClaw < 2026.3.25 - Privilege Escalation via Backend Reconnect Scope Self-Claim
OpenClaw before 2026.3.25 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability allowing non-admin operators to self-request broader scopes during backend reconnect. Attackers can bypass pairing requirements to reconnect as operator.admin, gaining unauthorized admini…
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High 8.1
OpenClaw < 2026.3.25 - Privilege Escalation via Synthetic operator.admin in deleteSession
OpenClaw before 2026.3.25 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability in the gateway plugin subagent fallback deleteSession function that uses a synthetic operator.admin runtime scope. Attackers can exploit this by triggering session deletion without a requ…
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High 8.8
OpenClaw < 2026.3.22 - Privilege Escalation via device.pair.approve Scope Validation
OpenClaw before 2026.3.22 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability in the device.pair.approve method that allows an operator.pairing approver to approve pending device requests with broader operator scopes than the approver actually holds. Attackers can …
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High 7.8
OpenClaw < 2026.3.25 - Privilege Escalation via Silent Local Shared-Auth Reconnect
OpenClaw before 2026.3.25 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability where silent local shared-auth reconnects auto-approve scope-upgrade requests, widening paired device permissions from operator.read to operator.admin. Attackers can exploit this by trigg…
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Medium 5.4
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager Arbitrary File Overwrite Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the API of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to overwrite arbitrary files on the local file system. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid read-only credentials with API access …
KEV Apr 20, 2026 -
High 8.8
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
A vulnerability in Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager could allow an authenticated, local attacker with low privileges to gain root privileges on the underlying operating system. This vulnerability is due to an insufficient user authentication mechanism in the RES…
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Medium 6.5
Apache Airflow: Airflow externalLogUrl Permission Bypass
Apache Airflow versions 3.1.0 through 3.1.6 contain an authorization flaw that can allow an authenticated user with custom permissions limited to task access to view task logs without having task log access. Users are recommended to upgrade to Apache Airflow …
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High 7.1
Improper Authorization in Nomysoft Informatics' Nomysem
Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs vulnerability in NomySoft Information Technology Training and Consulting Inc. Nomysem allows Privilege Escalation. This issue affects Nomysem: through May 2025.
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Medium 5.4
When processing API requests, the Alteryx server 2022.1.1.42654 and 2024.1 used MongoDB object IDs to uniquely identify…
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High 7.8
A vulnerability has been identified in Spectrum Power 4 (All versions < V4.70 SP12 Update 2). The affected application …
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High 8.8CVE-2025-54769 Public exploit
KL-001-2025-016: Xorux LPAR2RRD File Upload Directory Traversal
An authenticated, read-only user can upload a file and perform a directory traversal to have the uploaded file placed in a location of their choosing. This can be used to overwrite existing PERL modules within the application to achieve remote code execution …
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Medium 5.3
KL-001-2025-015: Xorux LPAR2RRD Read Only User Log Download Exposing Sensitive Information
An API endpoint that should be limited to web application administrators is hidden from, but accessible by, lower-level read only web application users. The endpoint can be used to download logs from the appliance configuration, exposing sensitive information.
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Medium 6.5
KL-001-2025-014: Xorux LPAR2RRD Read Only User Denial of Service
An authenticated, read-only user can kill any processes running on the Xormon Original virtual appliance as the lpar2rrd user.
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Medium 5.3CVE-2025-54765 EPSS 10%
KL-001-2025-013: Xorux XorMon-NG Web Application Privilege Escalation to Administrator
An API endpoint that should be limited to web application administrators is hidden from, but accessible by, lower-level read only web application users. The endpoint can be used to import the appliance configuration, allowing an attacker to control the config…
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Medium 5.3CVE-2025-54766 EPSS 10%
KL-001-2025-012: Xorux XorMon-NG Read Only User Export Device Configuration Exposing Sensitive Information
An API endpoint that should be limited to web application administrators is hidden from, but accessible by, lower-level read only web application users. The endpoint can be used to export the appliance configuration, exposing sensitive information.
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High 8.8
Privilege Escalation in Beamsec PhishPro
Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs vulnerability in Beamsec PhishPro allows Privilege Abuse. This issue affects PhishPro: before 7.5.4.2.
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High 8.8
Digiwin｜EAI - Privilege Escalation
The EAI developed by Digiwin has a Privilege Escalation vulnerability, allowing remote attackers with regular privileges to elevate their privileges to administrator level via a specific API.
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High 7.8
Dell PowerProtect Data Manager Reporting, version(s) 19.17, contain(s) an Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs vulnerabilit…
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High 8.7
Incorrect Use of Privileged vulnerability has been discovered on OpenText™ UCMDB and Operation Bridge Manager product.
Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs vulnerability in OpenText™ Operations Bridge Manager, OpenText™ Operations Bridge Suite (Containerized), OpenText™ UCMDB ( Classic and Containerized) allows Privilege Escalation. The vulnerability could allow authenticated at…
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Critical 9.0
Authentication Bypass in Sechard Information Technologies' SecHard
Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs, Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information, Insufficiently Protected Credentials vulnerability in Sechard Information Technologies SecHard allows Authentication Bypass, Interface Manipulation, Authentication Abuse, Harve…
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Medium 6.9
In affected versions of Octopus Deploy where customers are using Active Directory for authentication it was possible fo…
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Medium 6.4
Bentley Systems ProjectWise Integration Server before 10.00.03.288 allows unintended SQL query execution by an authenti…
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Critical 9.8
WhatsUp Gold Registry Overwrite Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
In WhatsUp Gold versions released before 2024.0.1, a remote unauthenticated attacker could leverage NmAPI.exe to create or change an existing registry value in registry path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Ipswitch\.
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Critical 9.8
D-Link DSL6740C - Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs
The D-Link DSL6740C modem has an Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs vulnerability, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to modify any user’s password by leveraging the API, thereby granting access to Web, SSH, and Telnet services using that user’s account.
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Medium 6.5
Missing checks for notification filter preferences editions in XWiki Platform
XWiki Platform is a generic wiki platform offering runtime services for applications built on top of it. It's possible for any user knowing the ID of a notification filter preference of another user, to enable/disable it or even delete it. The impact is that …
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Critical 9.1
The OpenDaylight 0.15.3 controller allows topology poisoning via API requests because an application can manipulate the…
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High 7.2
Information Disclosure in ExtremePacs's Extreme XDS
Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs vulnerability in ExtremePacs Extreme XDS allows Collect Data as Provided by Users. This issue affects Extreme XDS: before 3914.
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High 7.5
Sensetive Data Exposure in Utarit's Soliclub
Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs vulnerability in Utarit Information Technologies SoliPay Mobile App allows Collect Data as Provided by Users. This issue affects SoliPay Mobile App: before 5.0.8.
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High 7.8
A vulnerability has been identified in Unicam FX (All versions). The windows installer agent used in affected product c…