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CVE-2026-27803 — Vulnerability in vaultwarden — CVE Details

HIGH

Vaultwarden's Collection Management Operations Allowed Without `manage` Verification for Manager Role

Published March 4, 2026Updated March 4, 2026Source: osv

Summary

## Summary Testing confirmed that even when a Manager has `manage=false` for a given collection, they can still perform the following management operations as long as they have access to the collection: * `PUT /api/organizations/<org_id>/collections/<col_id>` succeeds (HTTP 200) * `PUT /api/organizations/<org_id>/collections/<col_id>/users` succeeds (HTTP 200) * `DELETE /api/organizations/<org_id>/collections/<col_id>` succeeds (HTTP 200) ## Description * The Manager guard checks only whether the user **can access the collection**, not whether they have `manage` privileges. This check is directly applied to management endpoints. src/auth.rs:816 ```rust if !Collection::can_access_collection(&headers.membership, &col_id, &conn).await { err_handler!("The current user isn't a manager for this collection") } ``` * The `can_access_collection` function does **not** evaluate the `manage` flag. src/db/models/collection.rs:140 ```rust pub async fn can_access_collection(member: &Membership, col_id: &CollectionId, conn: &DbConn) -> bool { member.has_status(MembershipStatus::Confirmed) && (member.has_full_access() || CollectionUser::has_access_to_collection_by_user(col_id, &member.user_uuid, conn).await || ... ``` * A separate management-permission check exists and includes `manage` validation, but it is **not used** during authorization for the affected endpoints. src/db/models/collection.rs:516 ```rust pub async fn is_manageable_by_user(&self, user_uuid: &UserId, conn: &DbConn) -> bool { let Some(member) = Membership::find_confirmed_by_user_and_org(user_uuid, &self.org_uuid, conn).await else { return false; }; if member.has_full_access() { return true; } ... ``` * The actual update and deletion endpoints only accept `ManagerHeaders` and do not perform additional `manage` checks. src/api/core/organizations.rs:608 ```rust async fn put_organization_collection_update(..., headers: ManagerHeaders, ...) ``` src/api/core/organizations.rs:890 ```rust async fn put_collection_users(..., headers: ManagerHeaders, ...) ``` src/api/core/organizations.rs:747 ```rust async fn delete_organization_collection(..., headers: ManagerHeaders, ...) ``` ## Preconditions * The attacker is a **Manager** within the target organization. * The attacker has access to the target collection (`assigned=true`). * The attacker’s permission for that collection is `manage=false`. * A valid API access token has been obtained. ## Steps to Reproduce 1. Confirm that the attacker’s current permissions for the target collection include `manage=false`. <img width="2015" height="636" alt="image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/58ddc733-e37c-4766-a980-b1ea1918ceb4" /> 2. As a control test, verify that update operations fail for collections the attacker cannot access. <img width="2021" height="852" alt="image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d8699442-2dfc-4d73-8940-ec10f4a175f0" /> 3. Confirm that update operations succeed for the target collection where `manage=false`. <img width="2013" height="690" alt="image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/33d9845d-d18e-456c-a58c-e780911347a9" /> 4. Use `PUT /collections/{col_id}/users` to set `manage=true`, confirming that the attacker can escalate their own privileges. <img width="2018" height="488" alt="image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/da8c5246-cf2a-46c2-9a25-e99d907f852d" /> 5. Verify that deletion of the collection succeeds despite the Manager lacking management rights. <img width="2018" height="487" alt="image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a97c8fb2-4f97-4c2a-a90b-9d95dbde84fd" /> ## Required Minimum Privileges * Organization Manager role (Owner/Admin privileges are not required) * Works even with `access_all=false` * Only access rights to the target collection are required (`manage` privilege is not required) ## Attack Scenario A restricted Manager (intended for read/use-only access) directly invokes the API to update collection settings, elevate their own privileges to `manage=true`, and even delete the collection. This allows the user to bypass operational access restrictions and effectively gain administrator-equivalent control over the collection. ## Potential Impact * **Confidentiality:** Expansion of access scope through unauthorized privilege escalation and configuration changes. * **Integrity:** Unauthorized modification of collection settings and assignments; potential disabling of access controls. * **Availability:** Deletion of collections may disrupt business operations.

Advisory Timeline

  • First published March 4, 2026 (222 days ago).
  • Last revised March 4, 2026 — 0 days after initial publication.

Remediation

Upgrade to the fixed version using your package manager.

Cargo
Update vaultwarden to 1.35.4 or later
cargo update -p vaultwarden --precise 1.35.4

After upgrading, run your dependency scanner again to confirm the vulnerability is resolved.

Affected Packages (1)

Affects 1 ecosystem: crates.io (1).

PackageEcosystemAffectedFixed In
vaultwarden
crates.io
All versions1.35.4

Vulnerability Classification

Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) identifiers for this vulnerability type.

  • CWE-269
    Improper Privilege ManagementMITRE
  • CWE-285
    Improper AuthorizationMITRE
  • CWE-863
    Incorrect AuthorizationMITRE

CVSS Score Breakdown

What the CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) 8.3 score means for each attack dimension.

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
Low

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-27803?
Vaultwarden's Collection Management Operations Allowed Without `manage` Verification for Manager Role This vulnerability has been assigned a severity rating of HIGH (CVSS score: 8.3/10).
How do I check if my project is affected by CVE-2026-27803?
CVE-2026-27803 affects vaultwarden. Use GeekWala's free vulnerability scanner to check your dependencies against CVE-2026-27803 and 200,000+ other known vulnerabilities.

Severity & Exploitability

CVSS Score
8.3

High exploitability or significant impact. Prioritize remediation within days.

Also Known As

GHSA-h4hq-rgvh-wh27

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