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Splunk disclosed and fixed CVE-2026-20266, a critical OS command injection flaw in the Splunk AI Toolkit's btool configuration helper that can let a user with the Splunk admin role execute arbitrary operating system commands on the underlying host. The vulnerability is classified as CWE-78 and carries a CVSS 9.1 score; it stems from unsafe shell execution in which dynamic parameters are concatenated into a shell-interpreted command string, potentially allowing injected commands to run with the privileges of the splunkd service account.
The issue affects Splunk AI Toolkit versions earlier than 5.7.4 in the 5.7.x branch and requires the AI Toolkit to be installed and active for exploitation. Splunk addressed the flaw in version 5.7.4, and downstream security notices have highlighted the update as part of broader Splunk security guidance. Reporting on the bug also noted similarities to CVE-2026-20163, pointing to a recurring risk pattern around shell interpretation in privileged Splunk components.
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3 events from the most recent confirmed update back to the earliest known activity.
EG-FinCIRT published a Splunk security update. The reference indicates the update was issued on 21 June 2026, but no additional event details are provided in the supplied content.
ZeroPath published a write-up describing CVE-2026-20266 as a critical command injection vulnerability in the Splunk AI Toolkit's btool configuration helper. The post states the flaw is caused by unsafe shell execution, maps to CWE-78, and carries a CVSS score of 9.1.
Splunk fixed a critical OS command injection flaw in the Splunk AI Toolkit by publishing version 5.7.4. The issue affects versions below 5.7.4 in the 5.7.x line and allows a Splunk admin to execute arbitrary OS commands on the host when the toolkit is installed and active.
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Splunk disclosed a critical vulnerability in **Splunk AI Toolkit** that allows OS command injection through the `btool` Configuration Helper, affecting versions earlier than **5.7.4**. Tracked as **`CVE-2026-20266`** and rated **CVSS 9.1**, the flaw stems from unsafe shell execution that can let a user with the Splunk **admin** role run arbitrary commands on the host running Splunk Enterprise, creating a direct path to host compromise. Splunk also fixed **`CVE-2026-20265`**, a lower-severity insecure default domain allowlist issue rated **CVSS 4.3** that could allow a low-privileged user to trigger outbound HTTP requests and potentially exfiltrate data to an attacker-controlled server. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security highlighted the vendor advisory in **AV26-614** and urged administrators to review Splunk’s guidance and upgrade to **version 5.7.4 or later**; public reporting said there was **no confirmed exploitation in the wild** at disclosure time.
Jul 12, 2026
Splunk released patches for three vulnerabilities affecting **Splunk Enterprise**, **Splunk Cloud Platform**, and the **Splunk AI Toolkit**, including a high-severity denial-of-service bug and two issues that can expose sensitive data. `CVE-2026-20240` affects the `splunk_archiver` app, where a low-privileged user can abuse the `coldToFrozen.sh` script to rename critical directories and render an instance inoperable. `CVE-2026-20239` stems from improper output sanitization in the TcpChannel component and can leak session cookies and cleartext HTTP response bodies into the `_internal` log index, while `CVE-2026-20238` is an access-control weakness in the Splunk AI Toolkit that can bypass intended search restrictions and expose restricted data. Splunk said the issues were fixed in updated releases, including **AI Toolkit 5.7.3** for `CVE-2026-20238`, and urged customers to upgrade affected deployments. The company also published interim mitigations for organizations that cannot patch immediately, including restricting access to the `_internal` index to administrators, disabling the **Splunk Archiver** application, reviewing inherited roles and permissions, and removing the problematic `srchFilter` entry from local configuration where applicable. The advisories highlight risks to both platform availability and the confidentiality of operational data stored in Splunk environments.
Jun 29, 2026
Splunk disclosed **CVE-2026-20253**, a critical unauthenticated vulnerability in the PostgreSQL sidecar component of **Splunk Enterprise** and **Splunk Cloud Platform** that lets a network-reachable attacker create or truncate arbitrary files on the host. The flaw, tracked as **`VULN-67169`** and **`SVD-2026-0603`**, is rated **CVSS 9.8** and affects Splunk Enterprise `10.2.0` through `10.2.3` and `10.0.0` through `10.0.6`, as well as Splunk Cloud Platform versions below `10.4.2604.3` and below `10.2.2510.14`. Splunk said fixed versions are available, cloud instances are being actively patched, and no workaround exists other than upgrading. Splunk also published security content tied to **`SVD-2026-0603`** to help defenders simulate and validate detection of the exposed sidecar behavior, including replayable attack data mapped to **MITRE ATT&CK `T1210`**. Separately, the company disclosed **CVE-2026-20140**, a Windows-only local privilege-escalation flaw in Splunk Enterprise caused by DLL search-order hijacking during service startup; that issue can allow a low-privileged local user to gain **`NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM`** privileges and has been fixed in supported branches, with Splunk advising upgrades, tighter write permissions, and monitoring for suspicious DLL drops and service restarts.
Jul 13, 2026