CVE-2026-111357: Critical Ivanti Connect Secure Missing Authentication Vulnerability Under Active Exploitation
Runtime Rebel is issuing an urgent advisory regarding CVE-2026-111357, a critical missing authentication vulnerability affecting Ivanti Connect Secure products. This flaw has been added to the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming its active exploitation in the wild. Security teams must prioritize immediate action to mitigate the significant risk posed by this vulnerability.
Technical Analysis of Ivanti Connect Secure Missing Authentication Vulnerability
The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2026-111357, stems from a missing authentication check for a critical function within Ivanti Connect Secure. This design flaw could enable a local authenticated attacker to escalate their privileges. While requiring local and authenticated access, the impact is severe, as successful exploitation grants elevated permissions, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data, system compromise, or further lateral movement within an affected network.
Adding to the concern, the vulnerability can be chained with other identified flaws, specifically CVE-2026-104935 and CVE-2026-118527. While specific details on these chained vulnerabilities are not provided in the CISA advisory, the potential for combination attacks suggests a heightened risk profile, allowing attackers to leverage multiple weaknesses for more profound system penetration or bypass additional security controls. The associated weaknesses are categorized under CWE-306 (Missing Authentication for Critical Function), CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), and CWE-345 (Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity), highlighting fundamental security control failures.
The inclusion of CVE-2026-111357 in the CISA KEV catalog is a definitive indicator of its severity. This catalog lists vulnerabilities that have confirmed evidence of active exploitation, signaling to federal agencies and critical infrastructure operators that these flaws represent a current and tangible threat. For organizations using Ivanti Connect Secure, the implication is clear: attackers are actively targeting and successfully exploiting this vulnerability, making timely remediation essential.
Mitigation for CVE-2026-111357 Privilege Escalation
Organizations must swiftly address the CVE-2026-111357 privilege escalation vulnerability. CISA mandates immediate action in accordance with their Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 26-04, “Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk.” This directive requires federal agencies to remediate known exploited vulnerabilities by specific deadlines, which for this CVE is 2026-11-02. While this is a federal deadline, all organizations should treat it as an urgent call to action.
Key recommendations for defending against this critical threat include:
- Apply Vendor Mitigations: The primary and most crucial step is to apply all available mitigations and patches provided by Ivanti. Ensure these updates are deployed across all affected Ivanti Connect Secure instances without delay.
- Adhere to CISA BOD 26-04 Guidance: Evaluate each asset’s internet exposure and ensure full compliance with CISA’s patching guidelines. For cloud services utilizing Ivanti Connect Secure, follow the applicable BOD 26-04 guidance or discontinue product use if mitigations are unavailable or infeasible.
- Implement Forensics Triage Requirements: Organizations should review and adhere to CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” to ensure proper incident response and data collection capabilities are in place, should an exploitation attempt be detected or suspected. Compliance with CISA BOD 26-04 for Ivanti Connect Secure is non-negotiable for federal entities, and strongly advised for all others.
- Proactive Monitoring: Enhance monitoring for Ivanti Connect Secure devices to detect any anomalous activity indicative of exploitation attempts or unauthorized access. Look for signs of privilege escalation or unusual network connections.
The active exploitation of this Ivanti Connect Secure missing authentication vulnerability underscores the need for continuous vigilance and proactive patch management. Failure to address this flaw promptly could result in significant security breaches.
Related: CVE-2026-102490: Zammad Privilege Escalation Exploit in Wild, CVE-2026-53362: Linux Kernel IPv6 Privilege Escalation