dbcve.org
Ai ToolkitApplication · Splunk

CVE-2026-20266

CRITICAL · 9.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-06-17
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.7.4 or later.
See remediation →
97/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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
In Splunk AI Toolkit versions below 5.7.4, a user who holds the "admin" Splunk role could execute arbitrary OS commands on the host running the Splunk Enterprise instance. The vulnerability is possible because of an unsafe shell execution pattern in the btool configuration helper, which constructs OS command strings from dynamic parameters without disabling shell interpretation.

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 · high confidence

The Splunk AI Toolkit below version 5.7.4 contains an unsafe shell execution vulnerability in its btool configuration helper. The btool component constructs OS command strings from dynamic user-controlled parameters without disabling shell interpretation (likely using shell=True or equivalent), allowing an authenticated administrator to inject and execute arbitrary OS commands on the host running Splunk Enterprise.

MitigationUpgrade Splunk AI Toolkit to version 5.7.4 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as there is no documented workaround for the unsafe shell execution pattern.

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
Ai ToolkitApplication
Affected:>= 5.7.0, < 5.7.4

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/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 Splunk AI Toolkit installed version
    Locate the Splunk AI Toolkit installation directory and check the version file or package metadata. Common paths include $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/apps/splunk_ai_toolkit/ or check via Splunk's web interface under Apps > Manage Apps. Compare the installed version against the affected range: 5.7.0 through 5.7.3.
    Affected if Installed version is 5.7.0, 5.7.1, 5.7.2, or 5.7.3 (versions less than 5.7.4)
  2. Verify btool component is present
    Inspect the Splunk AI Toolkit installation for the btool configuration helper component. Look for files or modules named 'btool' or containing btool functionality within the splunk_ai_toolkit app directory structure.
    Affected if The btool component exists in the installation and is accessible to authenticated users
  3. Confirm administrator access exists
    Review Splunk Enterprise user authentication and authorization configuration to determine if any authenticated administrator accounts exist. Check Splunk's user management (local or LDAP/SSO) for accounts with admin-level privileges.
    Affected if Any authenticated administrator-level account exists in the Splunk environment
  4. Check for recent suspicious command execution
    Review Splunk audit logs, shell history, and system process logs for any unexpected commands or scripts executed by the Splunk service account that may indicate exploitation of the btool shell injection flaw.
    Affected if Unusual or unauthorized shell commands appear in Splunk-related logs

You are affected if Splunk AI Toolkit version 5.7.0 through 5.7.3 is installed and the btool component is accessible to authenticated administrators in your environment.

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 5.7.4 or later
Fixed in 5.7.4
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Splunk AI Toolkit to version 5.7.4 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as there is no documented workaround for the unsafe shell execution pattern.

Recommended fix High confidence

5.7.4

  1. 1. Back up your current Splunk AI Toolkit configuration and any custom settings.
  2. 2. Upgrade Splunk AI Toolkit to version 5.7.4 or later by downloading from Splunkbase or your Splunk Enterprise management console.
  3. 3. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the installed version in Splunk AI Toolkit settings.
  4. 4. Restart the Splunk Enterprise instance if required by the upgrade process.
  5. 5. Validate that the btool configuration helper functions correctly with the new version.
  6. 6. Confirm the OS command injection vulnerability is resolved by verifying that shell metacharacters in btool parameters are no longer interpreted.
Caveat Review Splunk AI Toolkit 5.7.4 release notes for any breaking changes or deprecated features before upgrading in production environments

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

Fix this in Ai Toolkit Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,080
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,328.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-20266 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2026-20266 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data