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CVE Record

CVE-2026-23561: Multiple RBAC issues in XAPI

[This CNA information record relates to multiple CVEs; the text explains which aspects/vulnerabilities correspond to which CVE.] XAPI can configure different users with different roles, using Role Based Access Control. For more details, see: https://docs.xenserver.com/en-us/xencenter/current-release/rbac-overview.html#rbac-roles The pool-admin role is fully privileged. Notably, users with this role can also SSH into the host as root. The other administrator roles are pool-operator, vm-power-admin and vm-admin, each of which are authorised to configure and manage various aspects of the system. Some settings are inadequately restricted, and can be set by a lower privilege of administrator than expected. * CVE-2026-23559: A vm-admin can set VBD.other_config:backend-local and turn arbitrary files in dom0 into VDIs (virtual disks) and give said disks to a VM they control. This is an arbitrary read and/or modify of files in dom0. * CVE-2026-23560: A vm-admin can set VM.other-config:is_system_domain and mark a VM as a system domain. System domains are ignored and left running during certain other host/pool operations, and may be hidden from view in tooling. * CVE-2026-23561: A vm-admin can set VM.other_config:storage_driver_domain and mark a VM as the storage domain for a particular host storage connection (PBD). Shutting down the VM can cause the PBD to be erroneously marked as unplugged when it is not. * CVE-2026-23562: Configuration of PCI passthrough is normally restricted to the pool-admin role. However one API was missing this check, allowing a vm-admin access to unintended host hardware. * CVE-2026-42486: A vm-admin can set the VM.platform:hvm_serial parameter, which should be restricted to the pool-admin role, as it can allow arbitrary dom0 file write.

CriticalCVSS 9.4Not KEV-listedUpdated
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysiscritical

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2026-23561 is an XAPI RBAC flaw where a vm-admin can set storage-domain metadata that should be more tightly controlled. A lower-privileged administrator could cause storage connection state to be handled incorrectly, potentially disrupting host or pool operations. The provided sources do not confirm active exploitation or name a patch.

Executive priority

Treat this as urgent for Xen/XAPI environments with delegated administration. The business risk is storage disruption or operational confusion caused by a lower-privileged admin action, but public exploitation evidence is not present in the supplied sources.

Technical view

In Xen XAPI, vm-admin can set VM.other_config:storage_driver_domain and mark a VM as the storage domain for a host storage connection PBD. If that VM is shut down, the PBD may be incorrectly marked unplugged while still connected. This is part of XSA-489’s broader RBAC authorization issue set.

Likely exposure

Organizations using Xen/XAPI with delegated vm-admin roles are the most likely exposure. Risk is higher where lower-privileged administrators manage VMs in shared pools or production storage environments.

Exploitation context

The bundle lists KEV as false and provides no cited evidence of active exploitation. The described path requires abuse of vm-admin-level capability within XAPI RBAC, despite the CVSS vector showing no privileges required.

Researcher notes

The CVE record is specific to storage_driver_domain handling, but the source text also groups related RBAC issues under XSA-489. Affected-version and fix details are incomplete in the bundle, so validation should stay tied to vendor guidance.

Mitigation direction

  • Check Xen XSA-489 and vendor distribution guidance for fixed XAPI packages.
  • Limit vm-admin delegation until vendor remediation is applied.
  • Review service accounts with vm-admin permissions for least-privilege fit.
  • Monitor storage connection state changes for unexpected PBD unplugged markings.
  • Prioritize remediation on shared pools and production storage hosts.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory Xen/XAPI deployments and confirm whether RBAC delegation is used.
  • Identify users and service accounts assigned vm-admin privileges.
  • Review VM other_config storage_driver_domain values for unexpected assignments.
  • Correlate VM shutdowns with unexpected PBD unplugged state changes.
  • Track vendor advisories for patch availability and affected-version clarification.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
3

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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ATT&CK lookup starting points

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cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2026-23561 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Critical
CVSS
9.4 (4.0)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

1CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
1ADP providers
2Source links

SSVC decision data

CISA-ADPCISA Coordinator
Timestamp
Version
2.0.3
Exploitation: noneAutomatable: noTechnical Impact: total

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
9.4CVSS 4.0CriticalCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:HXEN

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 4.0 score

9.4Critical
CVSS 4.0 vector shape for CVE-2026-23561Attack VectorAttack ComplexityAttack RequirementsPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionVS ConfidentialityVS IntegrityVS AvailabilitySS ConfidentialitySS IntegritySS Availability

Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Attack Requirements
NonePresent
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NonePassiveActive
VS Confidentiality
HighLowNone
VS Integrity
HighLowNone
VS Availability
HighLowNone
SS Confidentiality
HighLowNone
SS Integrity
HighLowNone
SS Availability
HighLowNone

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

ADP provider summaries

CISA-ADPCISA ADP Vulnrichment
other:ssvc

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
XenXAPIallunaffected
Weakness

CWE details

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.

CWE-250 · source CWE mapping

Execution with Unnecessary Privileges

Execution with Unnecessary Privileges represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.