Administrative access via unchecked API key permission update
Published Jan 29, 2026 · Updated Jan 29, 2026
Privilege escalation in Immich before 2.5.0 allows remote authenticated users with a limited API key to obtain administrative access. The update method in api-key.service.ts writes requested permissions to the caller's own key without checking that the key already holds them. An API key with apiKey.update permission can assign itself all permissions, exposing all user data and administrative functions.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in Immich before 2.5.0 allows remote authenticated users with a limited API key to obtain administrative access. The update method in api-key.service.ts writes requested permissions to the caller's own key without checking that the key already holds them. An API key with apiKey.update permission can assign itself all permissions, exposing all user data and administrative functions.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-23896
- Published
- Jan 29, 2026
- Updated
- Jan 29, 2026
- Vendor
- Immich
- Product
- Immich
- Classifications
- CWE-269, T1098
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 29, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jan 29, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=< 2.5.0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
- Immich API Key Privilege Escalation PoCproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo