External risk intelligence

ClearPass Policy Manager SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8)

CVE-2026-76754

ClearPass Policy Manager is a network access control and policy solution designed to manage network authentication and authorization, frequently positioning it as an internet-facing or edge-adjacent service that must be reachable to manage remote and distributed device connections.

SQL Injection

Halo Surface Signal: 5 out of 5 — more likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

A critical vulnerability has been identified in ClearPass Policy Manager, an interface used for network access control. This issue could enable unauthorized remote attackers to execute malicious commands within the system's database through SQL injection. The primary concern is to confirm if our instance is exposed and understand the potential implications.

Unauthenticated attackers can run database commands.
Confirms if our network access control is at risk.
Understand potential system compromise risks.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An unauthenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted SQL queries over the network to the ClearPass Policy Manager. This could lead to unauthorized access and manipulation of the underlying database, potentially allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary commands.

No authentication required for access.
Triggers via network-based SQL injection.
Risk of arbitrary database command execution.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

This vulnerability in ClearPass Policy Manager could allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to execute arbitrary database commands. This could occur when an affected interface is accessible over the network.

Sensitive database information could be exposed.
Unauthenticated remote network access.
Arbitrary database command execution.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

Real-world ownership of this critical SQL injection vulnerability in ClearPass Policy Manager likely falls to the network infrastructure or security operations teams, as they typically manage this type of access control system. The first practical step is to identify all ClearPass Policy Manager instances, determine their external reachability, assess business criticality, and then confirm the accountable owner before planning remediation.

Network or security operations teams own the issue.
Verify external reachability and business criticality.
Plan remediation based on identified risk.

Supplementary metadata

CVSS vector

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

Halo Threat Intelligence helps prioritize remediation with Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context. Start exposure validation with a free external attack surface trial.

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Frequently asked questions

What is ClearPass Policy Manager?

ClearPass Policy Manager is a centralized platform that organizations use to manage network access control. It handles the authentication and authorization of users and devices, determining who or what can connect to a network. Because it acts as a gatekeeper for network entry, it often sits in positions where it can communicate with various parts of a distributed enterprise environment to enforce security policies.

How does SQL injection work in CVE-2026-76754?

This vulnerability is a SQL injection flaw. It occurs when an application improperly handles user-supplied data, allowing an attacker to insert their own database commands into a query. By sending these malicious queries to an affected interface in ClearPass Policy Manager, an attacker can trick the system into executing unauthorized commands directly against the underlying database, bypassing standard security controls.

Do I need to be authenticated to trigger CVE-2026-76754?

No, this vulnerability does not require authentication. An attacker can initiate the attack remotely without needing a valid user account or login credentials. The bug is triggered when an attacker sends specially crafted network requests to the vulnerable interface. It is not triggered by legitimate, authorized traffic, but rather by malicious input specifically designed to manipulate the database layer.

Is my instance at risk according to Halo Surface Signal?

Halo Surface Signal indicates that because ClearPass Policy Manager is a network access control solution, it is frequently configured as an internet-facing or edge-adjacent service to support remote device connections. This positioning increases the likelihood of reachability by remote attackers. If your specific instance is accessible from the internet, it faces a higher level of risk regarding this vulnerability compared to systems isolated from external networks.

What is the first step to address this ClearPass vulnerability?

Start by performing an inventory of all ClearPass Policy Manager instances in your environment. For each instance, determine its network reachability—specifically whether it is exposed to the internet or restricted to internal traffic—and assess its business criticality. Once you have identified these systems and their potential exposure, work with the team responsible for infrastructure or security operations to coordinate the next steps for applying patches or security updates.

References

support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=hpesbnw05158en_us&docLo…

Written by Nicholas Merritt

Nicholas Merritt is VP of Security Solutions at Halo Security. With more than 25 years across application security, vulnerability prioritization, and offensive security, he helps teams translate threat data into practical exposure validation and remediation focus. He authors Halo Threat Intelligence CVE advisories using Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context to prioritize internet-facing risk.