What it is
CVE-2026-20253 is an unauthenticated vulnerability affecting Splunk Splunk Enterprise. In Splunk Enterprise 10.2 versions below 10.2.4 and 10 versions below 10.0.7, an unauthenticated user could create or truncate...
Vulnerability report
Splunk Enterprise
Splunk / Splunk Enterprise · affected before 10.2.4
Decision summary
Direct answers before the deeper technical record.
What it is
CVE-2026-20253 is an unauthenticated vulnerability affecting Splunk Splunk Enterprise. In Splunk Enterprise 10.2 versions below 10.2.4 and 10 versions below 10.0.7, an unauthenticated user could create or truncate...
Is it exploited?
Yes. KEV Intelligence sensors observed exploitation attempts with confirmed confidence.
Who is affected?
Splunk / Splunk Enterprise affected before 10.2.4.
What should we do?
Patch immediately, validate internet-facing exposure, and monitor for matching requests.
Overview
In Splunk Enterprise 10.2 versions below 10.2.4 and 10 versions below 10.0.7, an unauthenticated user could create or truncate arbitrary files through a PostgreSQL sidecar service endpoint. The vulnerability exists because the PostgreSQL sidecar service endpoint lacks authentication controls, allowing any network-reachable user to invoke file operations without credentials.
Splunk Enterprise versions 9.4 and earlier are not affected. If you cannot immediately upgrade to a fixed version, you can mitigate this vulnerability by disabling the PostgreSQL sidecar service.
Exploitation evidence
Third-party attestation and first-party sensor observation are shown separately so teams can judge the evidence chain.
KEV Intelligence
Independent exploitation attestation added to the KEV Intelligence record.
KEV Intelligence sensor
First-party sensor telemetry confirms matching exploitation attempts.
GitHub
Public scanner or PoC coverage increases practical exploitability.
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEV Intelligence Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| KEV Intelligence First | 2026-06-15 05:15 UTC |
| CISA | 2026-06-18 00:00 UTC |
| CVE | 2026-06-18 17:41 UTC |
| Daily CyberSecurity | 2026-06-18 18:20 UTC |
| All CISA Advisories | 2026-06-18 18:20 UTC |
| The Shadowserver | 2026-07-09 00:00 UTC |
Operational indicators for this CVE are listed under Detection.
Sensor telemetry
Aggregate observations show the scale, recency, and distribution of activity without overstating sparse data.
79
Attempts observed
7
Unique attacker IPs
5
Attacker countries
CN · NL · NO · SG · US
1
Sensors observed
Exploitation attempts over the last 70 days
Daily events observed by KEV Intelligence sensors
Updated 19 Aug 2026
First observed 12 Jun 2026 · Last observed 13 Aug 2026
Pro adds sensor region and window summaries. Enterprise adds raw IPs, paths, User-Agents, and payloads.
Detection
Make the evidence actionable in scanner, SOC, and edge-control workflows.
Raw values available in Pro and Enterprise.
Nuclei template detected 15 Jun 2026.
View Nuclei template (opens in new tab)KEV Intelligence virtual patch guidance is available for this CVE.
Attacker IP indicators observed · available in Pro and Enterprise.
Sensor-derived attacker IP indicators are available to Pro and Enterprise accounts under Detection and through the Pro API.
Learn about Pro API accessScanner and exploit-framework references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclei | https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2026/CVE-2026-20253.yaml | 15 Jun 2026 |
Compensating WAF rules for this CVE.
Enterprise feature. Virtual patch rule content and deployable vendor exports (ModSecurity, Cloudflare, AWS WAF) are available to KEV Intelligence Enterprise users.
Risk and context
CVSS v3.1
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS
96.9%
Recent mention · Daily CyberSecurity
The cybersecurity landscape faces a critical threat today. CISA confirmed active exploitation of Splunk CVE-2026-20253. Consequently, administrators The post Splunk CVE-2026-20253: CVSS 9.8 RCE Exploited in the Wild appeared first on Daily CyberSecurity.
Read full advisoryRecent mention · Daily CyberSecurity
Splunk CVE-2026-20253: CVSS 9.8 RCE Exploited in the WildDaily CyberSecurity · 18 Jun 2026
The cybersecurity landscape faces a critical threat today. CISA confirmed active exploitation of Splunk CVE-2026-20253. Consequently, administrators The post Splunk CVE-2026-20253: CVSS 9.8 RCE Exploited in the Wild appeared first on Daily CyberSecurity.
Recent mention · All CISA Advisories
CISA Adds One Known Exploited Vulnerability to CatalogAll CISA Advisories · 18 Jun 2026
CISA has added one new vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog, based on evidence of active exploitation. CVE-2026-20253 Splunk Enterprise Missing Authentication for Critical Function Vulnerability This type of vulnerability is a frequent attack vector for malicious cyber actors and poses significant risks to the federal enterprise. Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 26-04: Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk establishes vulnerability management requirements for Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies, updating BOD 22-01. BOD 26-04 reinforces...
Recent mention · TheHackerNews
Critical Splunk Enterprise Flaw Lets Attackers Run Code Without AuthenticationTheHackerNews · 13 Jun 2026
Splunk has released security updates to address a critical security flaw in Splunk Enterprise that could be exploited to conduct unauthenticated file operations and even remote code execution. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-20253, is rated 9.8 on the CVSS scoring system. "In Splunk Enterprise versions below 10.2.4 and 10.0.7, an unauthenticated user could create or truncate arbitrary
Recent mention · Watchtower Labs
Why Use App-Level Auth When Every Database Has Auth? (Splunk Enterprise CVE-2026-20253 Pre-Auth RCE)Watchtower Labs · 12 Jun 2026
Three posts? In three days? Are we insane?We're home alone, there's no one to stop us, and we're up past bedtime. So, we need to talk about Splunk. On June 10th, Splunk published this CVE-2026-20253 advisory:It has everything that we
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
pruva · Created 2026-07-07 21:08:36 UTC
Severity: CRITICAL | CVE: CVE-2026-20253 | Package: splunk/splunk
nuclei · Created Unknown
Timeline
Exploitation attested by an external source
Compensating WAF rule available to block exploitation
Exploitation attested by an external source
Exploitation attested by an external source
Exploitation attested by an external source
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
Evidence-backed exploitation signal
Indicators of compromise recorded
Public proof-of-concept code published
Scanner coverage available
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Pro API
Confidence, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2026-20253
Free JSON includes basic KEV fields{
"cve_id": "CVE-2026-20253",
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 9.8,
"cvss_estimated": false,
"epss_score": 0.96939,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": true
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "attempts": 79, "sensors": 1 }
}
Early warning alerts
Receive curator-selected alerts when exploitation activity warrants attention. Each alert includes the evidence and context needed to decide what requires attention now.