Authenticated privilege escalation via unbound token exchange
Published Jul 10, 2026 · Updated Jul 10, 2026
Missing authorization in ZITADEL 3.0.0 through 3.4.12 and 4.0.0 through 4.15.2 allows remote authenticated users to elevate OAuth2 tokens. The token-exchange handler neither binds the subject token to the requesting client nor restricts requested scopes to the subject token's scope set. A valid low-privilege token and an enabled token-exchange grant are required; successful exchange grants access to sensitive data, other applications, or administrative project roles.
Summary
What happened
Missing authorization in ZITADEL 3.0.0 through 3.4.12 and 4.0.0 through 4.15.2 allows remote authenticated users to elevate OAuth2 tokens. The token-exchange handler neither binds the subject token to the requesting client nor restricts requested scopes to the subject token's scope set. A valid low-privilege token and an enabled token-exchange grant are required; successful exchange grants access to sensitive data, other applications, or administrative project roles.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-56668
- Published
- Jul 10, 2026
- Updated
- Jul 10, 2026
- Vendor
- ZITADEL
- Product
- ZITADEL
- Classifications
- CWE-862, T1550.001
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 10, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jul 10, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=< 4.15.3
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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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
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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