CVE-2025-26683 - Improper Authorization in Azure Playwright Leads to Unauthorized Privilege Elevation

A critical vulnerability (CVE-2025-26683) has been identified in Azure Playwright, which could allow an unauthorized attacker to elevate their privileges on a targeted system via network access. This post outlines the vulnerability details, code snippets illustrating the vulnerability, and references to the original sources where you can obtain more information. It is essential for organizations using Azure Playwright to understand this exploit and apply the necessary patches or mitigations to avoid potential risks associated with it.

Vulnerability Details

The vulnerability is due to improper handling of authorization checks in Azure Playwright, which can be exploited by attackers to elevate their privileges over the network. Specifically, an unauthorized attacker can exploit improper authentication processes in certain Azure Playwright APIs to gain access to sensitive information. This could potentially lead to unauthorized privilege escalation and allow the attacker to perform actions as an administrative user.

Code Snippet

To illustrate the vulnerability, let's take a look at a code snippet that demonstrates an improperly authorized request to the Azure Playwright API.

import axios from 'axios';

async function exploit() {
    try {
        // Sends an unauthorized request to the Azure Playwright API
        const response = await axios({
            method: 'get',
            url: 'https://example.com/azure-playwright-api/vulnerable_endpoint';,
            headers: {
                'Authorization': 'Bearer UNAUTHORIZED_TOKEN',
            },
        });

        if (response.status === 200) {
            console.log('Exploit successful! Gained access to sensitive data:', response.data);
        } else {
            console.log('Exploit failed! Could not gain unauthorized access.');
        }
    } catch (error) {
        console.error('An error occurred during the exploit:', error);
    }
}

exploit();

This code performs a request to a vulnerable Azure Playwright endpoint and attempts to elevate the attacker's privileges with an unauthorized access token. If the exploit is successful, it will log the sensitive data obtained from the endpoint.

Exploit Details

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to a vulnerable Azure Playwright API endpoint. The request may include an unauthorized access token that bypasses the authentication process, allowing the attacker to access sensitive information with the elevated privileges.

To successfully exploit the vulnerability, the attacker needs network access to the target system and knowledge of the Azure Playwright API. A successful exploit can allow the attacker to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information and perform actions as an administrator-level user.

Original References

1. NIST National Vulnerability Database - CVE-2025-26683
2. Azure Playwright Security Advisory - Unauthorized Privilege Escalation

How to Mitigate the Vulnerability

Organizations using Azure Playwright should apply the patches provided by the vendor. Additionally, it is crucial to review the authentication and authorization processes for their applications built with Azure Playwright.

Regularly monitor and review access logs for any suspicious activity.

By following these steps and applying the necessary patches, organizations can protect themselves against the potential risks associated with this vulnerability (CVE-2025-26683), ensuring the security of their Azure Playwright applications and environments.

Timeline

Published on: 03/31/2025 22:15:18 UTC
Last modified on: 04/30/2025 17:14:48 UTC