Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:NCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2026-32716 is a high-severity Improper Authorization (CWE-285) vulnerability in Scitokens Scitokens Library. Its CVSS base score is 8.1 (High).
Operationally, ranked at the 36th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-24 (Access Control Decisions) and AC-25 (Reference Monitor) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2026-32716 is an authorization bypass vulnerability in the SciTokens reference library, which is used for generating and validating SciTokens. Prior to version 1.9.6, the Enforcer component performs incorrect validation of scope paths by relying on a simple prefix match via the "startswith" function. This flaw enables a token granted access to a specific path, such as "/john", to also grant unauthorized access to sibling paths sharing the same prefix, like "/johnathan" or "/johnny". The vulnerability is classified under CWE-285 (Improper Authorization) with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N).
An attacker with low privileges, such as a legitimate user possessing a valid SciTokens with scoped access to a targeted path prefix, can exploit this over the network with low complexity and no user interaction required. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to bypass authorization controls, achieving high-impact unauthorized access to confidential data (C:H) and modification of resources (I:H) on paths that match the prefix, without affecting availability.
The issue has been addressed in SciTokens version 1.9.6, as detailed in the project's GitHub security advisory (GHSA-w8fp-g9rh-34jh), release notes, and the patching commit (7a237c0f642efb9e8c36ac564b745895cca83583). Security practitioners should upgrade to version 1.9.6 or later to mitigate the vulnerability.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-17294
Vulnerability Data
SciTokens is a reference library for generating and using SciTokens. Prior to version 1.9.6, the Enforcer incorrectly validates scope paths by using a simple prefix match (startswith). This allows a token with access to a specific path (e.g., /john) to…
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also access sibling paths that start with the same prefix (e.g., /johnathan, /johnny), which is an Authorization Bypass. This issue has been patched in version 1.9.6.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Mandates that access-control decisions are made and applied to each request before access occurs.
Requires a tamperproof, always-invoked reference monitor that performs authorization checks.
Directly requires enforcement of approved authorizations for every access request, stopping improper or missing checks.
Limits granted privileges so that even a bypassed check affects fewer resources.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
A.8.3 directly mandates and configures the authorization mechanisms (identity/group rights, dynamic access rules, isolation, credential enforcement) that stop CWE-285 exploitation; the bounded remainder is non-authorization exposure vectors such as error messages or observable discrepancies.
Mapping access rights to information classification and business requirements forces correct enforcement of authorization decisions, blocking the incorrect authorization weakness at the policy and implementation stage.
Independent reviewers evaluate whether authorization logic matches policy, thereby reducing the window in which incorrect or missing authorization checks remain in production.
By requiring managers to verify that authorization decisions match policy and to remediate deviations, the control limits the persistence of incorrect or missing authorization checks.
Mandatory review and acceptance testing of changes before deployment reduces the chance that an authorization decision will be implemented incorrectly or will grant unintended rights.
Hardening callouts derived
DISA STIG baselines are authored against specific weaknesses. Where this CVE cites a broad weakness class, the mapping is not asserted at that abstraction (owner ruling, 2026-09-25: grade only at Base and below), so no rule is shown here rather than a rule shown against the wrong grain.
- No fine-grained STIG row for CWE-285, a class-level weakness. Rules are authored against its narrower children: CWE-552.