CVE-2026-47868: VMware Avi Load Balancer Privilege Escalation

CVE-2026-47868 Overview

CVE-2026-47868 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in VMware Avi Load Balancer. A local authenticated user can exploit the flaw to execute code as root, gaining full control of the appliance. Broadcom disclosed the issue in Security Advisory #37926 and released fixed builds across all supported branches.

The weakness is categorized under [CWE-269] Improper Privilege Management. Exploitation requires local access and low privileges, but no user interaction, and results in full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability on the affected host.

Critical Impact
A local authenticated attacker can escalate to root on VMware Avi Load Balancer appliances, enabling full control over load balancing configuration, TLS keys, and backend traffic.

Affected Products

VMware Avi Load Balancer 32.1.1 (fixed in 32.1.2)
VMware Avi Load Balancer 31.1.1 through 31.2.2 (fixed in 31.2.2-2p3)
VMware Avi Load Balancer 30.1.1 through 30.2.6 and 22.1.1 through 22.1.7 (both fixed in 30.2.7)

Discovery Timeline

2026-07-18 - CVE-2026-47868 published to NVD
2026-07-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-47868

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2026-47868 is a local privilege escalation flaw in the VMware Avi Load Balancer appliance. An authenticated local user with limited privileges can leverage an improper privilege management condition to run arbitrary code as root. Once root access is obtained, the attacker controls the entire load balancer, including virtual services, backend pools, and cryptographic material.

Broadcom classifies the issue under [CWE-269] Improper Privilege Management. This class of weakness typically arises when a process or command grants elevated capabilities without properly validating the calling user, input parameters, or execution context. On appliances like Avi Load Balancer, such flaws often surface in setuid utilities, sudoers rules, service scripts, or administrative CLI commands accessible to non-root shell users.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper enforcement of privilege boundaries between the standard appliance user context and privileged system operations. A component reachable by an authenticated local account performs actions with root authority without adequately restricting who can invoke it or what it can execute. Broadcom has not published low-level implementation details in the public advisory.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires prior access to a low-privileged local shell or CLI session on the Avi Load Balancer. This access can be obtained through legitimate operator credentials, compromised administrative accounts, or chaining with a separate remote authentication or command injection flaw. Once inside, the attacker triggers the vulnerable privileged operation to obtain a root shell.

Broadcom Security Advisory #37926 does not list public exploit code, and the vulnerability is not present in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog at time of writing. The EPSS score remains low, consistent with a local-only attack surface.

No verified proof-of-concept code is publicly available. Refer to the Broadcom Security Advisory #37926 for authoritative technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-47868

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected root shell sessions or uid=0 processes spawned from accounts that normally run as the low-privileged appliance user.
Modifications to Avi configuration files, TLS private keys, or system binaries outside of scheduled change windows.
New or altered cron jobs, systemd units, or startup scripts on the Avi Load Balancer host.
Outbound connections from the appliance to unfamiliar destinations, which may indicate post-exploitation command and control.

Detection Strategies

Monitor audit logs (auditd, /var/log/secure, Avi shell history) for privilege transitions and unexpected use of setuid binaries or sudo.
Correlate CLI login events with subsequent execution of administrative commands to identify anomalous escalation patterns.
Baseline expected binaries and file hashes on the appliance, and alert on drift.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward Avi Load Balancer syslog and audit events to a centralized SIEM for retention and correlation.
Alert on repeated failed authentication followed by successful login, which may precede local exploitation attempts.
Track configuration export operations and credential retrieval APIs, which attackers may use once root is obtained.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-47868

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade VMware Avi Load Balancer to a fixed version: 32.1.2, 31.2.2-2p3, or 30.2.7 as appropriate for the deployed branch.
Inventory all Avi Load Balancer instances, including non-production and disaster recovery deployments, and confirm patch status.
Rotate credentials, API tokens, and TLS private keys stored on any appliance suspected of compromise.

Patch Information

Broadcom has released fixes in Avi Load Balancer versions 32.1.2, 31.2.2-2p3, and 30.2.7. Users running 22.1.x branches must upgrade to 30.2.7, as no separate 22.1.x fix is provided. Patch details are published in Broadcom Security Advisory #37926.

Workarounds

Restrict local and CLI access to the Avi Load Balancer to a minimal set of trusted administrators.
Enforce multi-factor authentication and strong password policies on all appliance accounts to reduce the risk of low-privileged account compromise.
Isolate management interfaces on dedicated administrative networks and block them from general user access.

bash

# Example: verify installed Avi Load Balancer version before and after patching
shell
show version

# Restrict SSH access to the management network only (illustrative iptables rule)
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 ! -s 10.10.0.0/24 -j DROP