Privilege Escalation through Scheduled Search Alert Action Configuration in Splunk Enterprise

In Splunk Enterprise versions below 10.4.2, 10.2.6, 10.0.9, and 9.4.14, a user that holds a role with the schedule_search capability could run arbitrary Search Processing Language (SPL) commands with the highest level of system privilege and read every credential stored in the credential store, which can allow for disclosure and modification of all relevant data and affect system integrity and availability. The vulnerability is possible because scheduled search alert action configuration does not properly restrict user-specific alert action settings before the search scheduler runs alert actions. For more information see Create scheduled alerts (https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/alert-and-respond/alerting-manual/9.3/create-alerts/create-scheduled-alerts), Set up alert actions (https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/alert-and-respond/alerting-manual/9.3/configure-alert-actions/set-up-alert-actions), Define roles on the Splunk platform with capabilities (https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/administer/manage-users-and-security/10.4/manage-splunk-platform-users-and-roles/define-roles-on-the-splunk-platform-with-capabilities), and Configuration file precedence (https://help.splunk.com/en/splunk-enterprise/administer/admin-manual/10.2/administer-splunk-enterprise-with-configuration-files/configuration-file-precedence) in the Splunk documentation.

Quoted source text, attributed separately from HOL analysis.