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7.2
Serv-U: Malicious User Can Gain System Admin Rights
CVE-2025-40538
Summary
A flaw in Serv-U allows an attacker with administrative access to create a system administrator account and execute code with elevated privileges. This can happen if a malicious user is already on the system, and it's more likely to happen on Windows installations where services often run under less-privileged accounts. To stay protected, ensure you are running the latest version of Serv-U and keep your system software up to date.
What to do
No fix is available yet. Check with your software vendor for updates.
Affected software
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fix available |
|---|---|---|---|
| solarwinds | serv-u | <= 15.5.4 | – |
Original title
A broken access control vulnerability exists in Serv-U which when exploited, gives a malicious actor the ability to create a system admin user and execute arbitrary code as a privileged account via...
Original description
A broken access control vulnerability exists in Serv-U which when exploited, gives a malicious actor the ability to create a system admin user and execute arbitrary code as a privileged account via domain admin or group admin privileges.
This issue requires administrative privileges to abuse. On Windows deployments, the risk is scored as a medium because services frequently run under less-privileged service accounts by default.
This issue requires administrative privileges to abuse. On Windows deployments, the risk is scored as a medium because services frequently run under less-privileged service accounts by default.
nvd CVSS3.1
7.2
Vulnerability type
CWE-269
Improper Privilege Management
- https://documentation.solarwinds.com/en/success_center/servu/content/release_not... Release Notes Vendor Advisory
- https://www.solarwinds.com/trust-center/security-advisories/CVE-2025-40538 Vendor Advisory
Published: 24 Feb 2026 · Updated: 12 Mar 2026 · First seen: 6 Mar 2026