CVE-2026-23526: CVAT vulnerable to privilege escalation of users with staff status
CVAT is an open source interactive video and image annotation tool for computer vision. In versions 1.0.0 through 2.54.0, users that have the staff status may freely change their permissions, including giving themselves superuser status and joining the admin group, which gives them full access to the data in the CVAT instance. Version 2.55.0 fixes the issue. As a workaround, review the list of users with staff status and revoke it from any users that are not expected to have superuser privileges.
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2026-23526?
CVE-2026-23526 is classified as a high-severity privilege escalation vulnerability.
How do I fix CVE-2026-23526?
To fix CVE-2026-23526, upgrade to CVAT version 2.55.0 or later.
What is the impact of CVE-2026-23526 on CVAT users?
CVE-2026-23526 allows staff users to change their own permissions, potentially gaining superuser access.
Which versions of CVAT are affected by CVE-2026-23526?
CVAT versions from 1.0.0 through 2.54.0 are affected by CVE-2026-23526.
Is CVAT safe to use if I am on an affected version prior to the patch?
Using an affected version of CVAT prior to the patch poses a risk of unauthorized privilege escalation.