Authenticated directory deletion via cluster hello traversal
Published Aug 18, 2026 · Updated Aug 20, 2026
Path traversal in cluster hello handling in Wazuh manager before 4.14.6 allows remote authenticated users to delete directory contents. AbstractServerHandler.hello accepts a peer-supplied node name without validation, and clean_up later joins that stored name into the cluster working path with path.join instead of a containment check before remove_directory_contents runs on disconnect. Exploitation requires cluster-network reachability and a valid Fernet key for peer authentication; deletion is limited to directories writable by the wazuh user under the Wazuh installation path, but wiping etc/ can keep the manager from starting after the next restart.
Summary
What happened
Path traversal in cluster hello handling in Wazuh manager before 4.14.6 allows remote authenticated users to delete directory contents. AbstractServerHandler.hello accepts a peer-supplied node name without validation, and clean_up later joins that stored name into the cluster working path with path.join instead of a containment check before remove_directory_contents runs on disconnect. Exploitation requires cluster-network reachability and a valid Fernet key for peer authentication; deletion is limited to directories writable by the wazuh user under the Wazuh installation path, but wiping etc/ can keep the manager from starting after the next restart.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-74044
- Published
- Aug 18, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 20, 2026
- Vendor
- Wazuh
- Product
- Wazuh manager
- Classifications
- CWE-22, T1485
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 18, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 20, 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=4.0.0 <4.14.6
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- h1_poc.py cluster hello directory deletion PoCproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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