CVE-2026-34406
Aptrs ≤ 2.0.1
Raw vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:XSummary
CVE-2026-34406 is a critical-severity Improperly Controlled Modification of Dynamically-Determined Object Attributes (CWE-915) vulnerability in Aptrs Aptrs. Its CVSS base score is 9.4 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked at the 41th 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-3 (Access Enforcement) and AC-6 (Least Privilege) — 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-2026-34406 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in APTRS (Automated Penetration Testing Reporting System), a Python and Django-based automated reporting tool for penetration testers and security organizations. Affecting versions prior to 2.0.1, the issue resides in the CustomUserSerializer used by the edit_user endpoint (POST /api/auth/edituser/<pk>). The serializer explicitly lists the is_superuser field but omits it from read_only_fields, rendering it writable. Additionally, the edit_user view lacks validation to prevent non-superusers from modifying this field. The vulnerability carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) and is associated with CWE-915.
Any authenticated user with low privileges (PR:L) who can access the network-exposed endpoint (AV:N) can exploit this by submitting a crafted POST request with "is_superuser": true in the body, targeting their own account or any other <pk>. Successful exploitation escalates the targeted account to superuser status, granting unrestricted access to all application functionality without requiring re-authentication. This enables high-impact confidentiality, integrity, and availability violations.
The vulnerability has been patched in APTRS version 2.0.1. Security practitioners should upgrade to this version immediately. Relevant resources include the patching commit at https://github.com/APTRS/APTRS/commit/d1f1b3a5d1953082af8e075712ca29742e900d56, the release page at https://github.com/APTRS/APTRS/releases/tag/2.0.1, and the GitHub security advisory at https://github.com/APTRS/APTRS/security/advisories/GHSA-gv25-wp4h-9c35.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-17671
Vulnerability Data
APTRS (Automated Penetration Testing Reporting System) is a Python and Django-based automated reporting tool designed for penetration testers and security organizations. Prior to version 2.0.1, the edit_user endpoint (POST /api/auth/edituser/<pk>) allows Any user who can reach that endpoint and submit…
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crafted permission to escalate their own account (or any other account) to superuser by including "is_superuser": true in the request body. The root cause is that CustomUserSerializer explicitly includes is_superuser in its fields list but omits it from read_only_fields, making it a writable field. The edit_user view performs no additional validation to prevent non-superusers from modifying this field. Once is_superuser is set to true, gaining unrestricted access to all application functionality without requiring re-authentication. This issue has been patched in version 2.0.1.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Enforces authorizations so that only permitted attributes may be modified on an object.
Limits the set of modifiable attributes a subject is authorized to touch.
Validates incoming attribute names and values so that only explicitly allowed fields are accepted for update.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure SDLC practices directly require allow-listing of mutable object attributes and input validation to block mass-assignment flaws.
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.
Secure coding standards explicitly forbid unsafe dynamic attribute assignment and require property allow-lists.
Security testing can detect mass-assignment flaws but does not itself prevent them at runtime.
Secure development lifecycle requires input validation and object-property whitelisting that directly mitigates mass-assignment risks.
Application security requirements include explicit rules for allowable object attributes and safe deserialization.
Secure architecture principles mandate strict control over dynamic object modification and attribute binding.
Information access restriction limits who can modify objects but does not address which attributes may be changed.