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Incorrect Permission AssignmentWeakness · CWE-732

CVE-2026-22676

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-04-15
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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
Barracuda RMM versions prior to 2025.2.2 contain a privilege escalation vulnerability that allows local attackers to gain SYSTEM-level privileges by exploiting overly permissive filesystem ACLs on the C:\Windows\Automation directory. Attackers can modify existing automation content or place attacker-controlled files in this directory, which are then executed under the NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM account during routine automation cycles, typically succeeding within the next execution cycle.

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

Barracuda RMM versions before 2025.2.2 have an insecure filesystem ACL vulnerability on the C:\Windows\Automation directory that allows local authenticated attackers to modify or insert malicious files. These files execute under the NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM account during normal automation cycles, enabling complete privilege escalation to full system control.

MitigationUpgrade Barracuda RMM to version 2025.2.2 or later to obtain the vendor patch. As an interim measure, restrict write access to the C:\Windows\Automation directory to administrative accounts only and audit the directory for any unauthorized files.

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

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
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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. Verify Barracuda RMM is installed
    Check for Barracuda RMM installation by looking for the product in Add/Remove Programs, or check for the installation directory (commonly under C:\Program Files\Barracuda\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Barracuda\). Also verify the Windows service 'Barracuda RMM' exists using 'services.msc'.
    Affected if Barracuda RMM is not installed on the system - you are not affected by this CVE.
  2. Determine installed Barracuda RMM version
    Open the Barracuda RMM application and navigate to the About or Settings section to view the version number, or check the installed programs list in Control Panel for the version entry. If you have access to the installation logs, the version is often recorded there.
    Affected if The installed version is before 2025.2.2 - your environment is potentially affected.
  3. Inspect ACL on C:\Windows\Automation directory
    Right-click the C:\Windows\Automation folder in File Explorer, select Properties, then go to the Security tab. Click 'Advanced' to view the permission entries. Alternatively, run 'icacls C:\Windows\Automation' from an elevated command prompt to list all permission entries.
    Affected if Non-admin users or groups have Write or Modify permissions on this directory - your environment is vulnerable.
  4. Audit for unauthorized files in the automation directory
    Open C:\Windows\Automation in File Explorer and examine all files present. Check file creation/modification dates and ownership. Run 'dir C:\Windows\Automation /a' from command prompt to list all files including hidden ones.
    Affected if Unexpected or newly created files appear in this directory that you did not place there - potential compromise indicator.

Your environment is affected if Barracuda RMM version is before 2025.2.2 AND non-admin accounts have write access to the C:\Windows\Automation directory.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade Barracuda RMM to version 2025.2.2 or later to obtain the vendor patch. As an interim measure, restrict write access to the C:\Windows\Automation directory to administrative accounts only and audit the directory for any unauthorized files.

Recommended fix High confidence

2025.2.2

  1. Identify the current Barracuda RMM version installed on the system
  2. Navigate to the Barracuda RMM administration console or use the built-in version checker
  3. Upgrade Barracuda RMM to version 2025.2.2 or later
  4. Verify the upgrade completed successfully
  5. Confirm the C:\Windows\Automation directory permissions have been tightened in the updated version
Caveat Review Barracuda RMM 2025.2.2 release notes for any compatibility or configuration changes before upgrading

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2026-22676 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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