CVE-2026-94609: authentik: Privilege Escalation to Superuser via Group Hierarchy
authentik is an open-source identity provider. Prior to 2026.2.7, 2026.5.7, and 2026.8.2, an account with delegated permission to manage a group, group membership, or a user can grant superuser status to an account or assign an existing role to a group without holding the permissions that gate those privileges. Group hierarchy checks do not consistently account for superuser status inherited from ancestor groups, and role assignment to a group lacks the required authorization check. Only deployments that delegate these management capabilities to accounts that are not full administrators are affected. This issue is fixed in versions 2026.2.7, 2026.5.7, and 2026.8.2.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
authentikto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 2026.2.7 - Upgrade
Upgrade
authentikto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 2026.5.7 - Upgrade
Upgrade
authentikto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 2026.8.2
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
Which deployments are affected in practice?
Only deployments that delegate group management, group membership management, or user management to accounts that are not full administrators are affected. Deployments where only full administrators have those capabilities are not affected by this condition.
What access does an attacker need to exploit this issue?
An attacker needs an account with delegated permission to manage a group, group membership, or a user. They can then grant superuser status to an account or assign an existing role to a group without the normally required privilege-gating permissions.
How can this lead to a full compromise of the identity provider?
The delegated account can elevate an account to superuser status, including through group hierarchy handling that does not consistently account for superuser status inherited from ancestor groups. The vulnerability also permits unauthorized assignment of an existing role to a group.
Which versions contain fixes?
The issue is fixed in versions 2026.2.7, 2026.5.7, and 2026.8.2. Versions prior to those listed fixed releases are affected when delegated management capabilities have been granted to non-administrative accounts.
What can be done if updating is not immediately possible?
Remove or restrict delegated permissions that allow non-administrative accounts to manage groups, group membership, or users. This prevents the affected delegation paths described for the vulnerability.