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Axis OsOperating system · Axis

CVE-2026-0541

HIGH · 7.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-05-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 12.9.32 or later.
See remediation →
73/100
Remediation priority · Elevated

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
ACAP applications can gain elevated privileges due to improper input validation during the installation process, potentially leading to privilege escalation. This vulnerability can only be exploited if the Axis device is configured to allow the installation of unsigned ACAP applications, and if an attacker convinces the victim to install a malicious ACAP application.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

Axis device ACAP applications contain improper input validation vulnerabilities during the installation process that can be exploited for privilege escalation. Exploitation requires two conditions: the device must be configured to allow unsigned ACAP applications, and the attacker must socially engineer the victim into installing a malicious ACAP application.

MitigationDisable the installation of unsigned ACAP applications in device settings if this feature exists, and only install ACAP applications from trusted sources. Users should never be persuaded to install ACAP applications from untrusted or unsolicited sources.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Axis OsOperating system
Affected:>= 12.0.0, < 12.9.32

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Axis device OS version
    Access the device web interface and navigate to System > About, or use the ONVIF GetDeviceInformation request, or SSH to the device and run 'show version' or check /etc/os-release
    Affected if The installed version is 12.0.0 or higher but lower than 12.9.32
  2. Verify unsigned ACAP application setting
    Access the device web interface and navigate to Apps > Settings, or use the device API to query the ACAP application installation policy
    Affected if The device is configured to allow installation of unsigned ACAP applications (this setting is enabled/permitted)
  3. Confirm ACAP application installation capability
    Check if the ACAP application functionality is enabled on the device by navigating to Apps in the web interface or querying the device capabilities
    Affected if ACAP applications can be installed on the device and the unsigned application setting is permissive

The device is affected if it runs Axis OS version 12.0.0 through 12.9.31 and is configured to allow unsigned ACAP applications, making it vulnerable to privilege escalation if a user can be tricked into installing a malicious ACAP.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 12.9.32 or later
Fixed in 12.9.32
Interim mitigation

Disable the installation of unsigned ACAP applications in device settings if this feature exists, and only install ACAP applications from trusted sources. Users should never be persuaded to install ACAP applications from untrusted or unsolicited sources.

Recommended fix High confidence

Axis OS 12.9.32 or later stable release

  1. 1. Identify all Axis devices running Axis OS versions >= 12.0.0 and < 12.9.32
  2. 2. Access the device web interface or use Axis Device Manager to check the current OS version
  3. 3. Review device settings to determine if 'Allow unsigned ACAP applications' is enabled (this setting must be enabled for exploitation)
  4. 4. Create a backup of the current device configuration
  5. 5. Download Axis OS version 12.9.32 or later from the official Axis website (www.axis.com)
  6. 6. Upload and install the new firmware through the device web interface or management tools
  7. 7. After upgrade, verify the device is running OS version 12.9.32 or higher
  8. 8. As an additional security measure, disable the unsigned ACAP application installation option if not required for your deployment
Caveat Review release notes for any behavioral changes between your current version and 12.9.32; standard firmware upgrade precautions apply

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Axis Os Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
40.0 hours of engineering $7,000
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-0541 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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