CWE-267: Privilege Defined With Unsafe Actions

A particular privilege, role, capability, or right can be used to perform unsafe actions that were not intended, even when it is assigned to the correct entity.

Consequences

• Access Control: Gain Privileges or Assume Identity

How to prevent it

• Architecture and Design, Operation: Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
• Architecture and Design, Operation: Run your code using the lowest privileges that are required to accomplish the necessary tasks [REF-76]. If possible, create isolated accounts with limited privileges that are only used for a single task. That way, a successful attack will not immediately give the attacker access to the rest of the software or its environment. For example, database applications rarely need to run as the database administrator, especially in day-to-day operations.

Recent advisories

• DRUPAL-CONTRIB-2026-166 — The Webform module allows site builders to create forms, collect submissions, and configure access to forms and submission data.
• DRUPAL-CONTRIB-2026-162 — The Webform module allows site builders to create forms, collect submissions, and configure access to forms and submission data.
• DRUPAL-CONTRIB-2026-161 — The Webform module allows site builders to create forms, collect submissions, and configure access to forms and submission data.
• CVE-2025-41244 — VMware Aria Operations and VMware Tools contain a local privilege escalation vulnerability.
• GHSA-p976-h52c-26p6 — Rancher vulnerable to Privilege Escalation via manipulation of Secrets
• GHSA-m4mv-rmr7-h5f5 — Pimcore Privilege Defined With Unsafe Actions vulnerability
• GHSA-7m27-3587-83xf — Privilege Defined With Unsafe Actions in Keycloak

All advisories for CWE-267