CVE-2026-14904 Vulnerability Analysis & Exploit Details

CVE-2026-14904
Vulnerability Scoring

6.5
/10
High Risk

If left unpatched, CVE-2026-14904 could lead to major system disruptions or data loss.

Attack Complexity Details

  • Attack Complexity: Low
    Exploits can be performed without significant complexity or special conditions.
  • Attack Vector: Network
    Vulnerability is exploitable over a network without physical access.
  • Privileges Required: Low
    Some privileges are necessary to exploit the vulnerability.
  • Scope: Unchanged
    Exploit remains within the originally vulnerable component.
  • User Interaction: None
    No user interaction is necessary for exploitation.

CVE-2026-14904 Details

Status: Received on 07 Jul 2026, 17:16 UTC

Published on: 07 Jul 2026, 17:16 UTC

CVSS Release: version 3

CVSS3 Source

ff89ba41-3aa1-4d27-914a-91399e9639e5

CVSS3 Type

Secondary

CVSS3 Vector

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

CVE-2026-14904 Vulnerability Summary

CVE-2026-14904: AWS Research and Engineering Studio (RES) is an open-source solution that enables researchers and engineers to create and manage secure virtual desktops and computing resources on AWS. Improper link resolution before file access issue (CWE-59) in the Auth.GetUserPrivateKey API. An authenticated remote user could read arbitrary files on the cluster-manager EC2 instance by replacing their SSH private key file (~/.ssh/id_rsa) with a symbolic link targeting any file on the host. Because the cluster-manager process runs as root, any file readable by root is exposed, including other users' SSH private keys and application configuration secrets. It's recommended to upgrade to RES version 2026.06.

Assessing the Risk of CVE-2026-14904

Access Complexity Graph

The exploitability of CVE-2026-14904 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).

Exploitability Analysis for CVE-2026-14904

CVE-2026-14904 presents an accessible attack vector with minimal effort required. Restricting access controls and implementing security updates are critical to reducing exploitation risks.

Understanding AC and PR

A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.

Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.

Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.

CVSS Score Breakdown Chart

Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2026-14904, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.

CIA Impact Analysis

Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2026-14904, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.

  • Confidentiality: High
    Exploiting CVE-2026-14904 can result in unauthorized access to sensitive data, severely compromising data privacy.
  • Integrity: None
    CVE-2026-14904 poses no threat to data integrity.
  • Availability: None
    CVE-2026-14904 does not impact system availability.

CVE-2026-14904 References

External References

CWE Common Weakness Enumeration

CWE-59

CAPEC Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification

  • Symlink Attack CAPEC-132 An adversary positions a symbolic link in such a manner that the targeted user or application accesses the link's endpoint, assuming that it is accessing a file with the link's name.
  • Using Malicious Files CAPEC-17 An attack of this type exploits a system's configuration that allows an adversary to either directly access an executable file, for example through shell access; or in a possible worst case allows an adversary to upload a file and then execute it. Web servers, ftp servers, and message oriented middleware systems which have many integration points are particularly vulnerable, because both the programmers and the administrators must be in synch regarding the interfaces and the correct privileges for each interface.
  • Leverage Executable Code in Non-Executable Files CAPEC-35 An attack of this type exploits a system's trust in configuration and resource files. When the executable loads the resource (such as an image file or configuration file) the attacker has modified the file to either execute malicious code directly or manipulate the target process (e.g. application server) to execute based on the malicious configuration parameters. Since systems are increasingly interrelated mashing up resources from local and remote sources the possibility of this attack occurring is high.
  • Manipulating Web Input to File System Calls CAPEC-76 An attacker manipulates inputs to the target software which the target software passes to file system calls in the OS. The goal is to gain access to, and perhaps modify, areas of the file system that the target software did not intend to be accessible.

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