# CVE-2026-23981: Apache Superset improper authorization in UpdateChartCommand

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-23981-apache-superset-improper-authorization-in-updatechartcommand  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-07-30. Updated: 2026-07-30  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-23981 · Severity: info · CVSS 5.3 · Published 2026-07-30

Apache Superset, a data visualization and exploration platform, contains a security flaw that allows authorized users to modify dashboards they do not own. By exploiting this issue, a user with basic chart-editing permissions could link their charts to any dashboard in the system, potentially disrupting reports or altering the layout of dashboards managed by other teams. This could lead to unauthorized changes in business intelligence displays and operational confusion.

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-23981 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-23981 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-23981?** Informational severity, with a CVSS score of 5.3, published 30 July 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Apache Superset before 6.0.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-23981?** A patch was published on 2026-07-30: Fixed in version 6.0.0 Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-23981 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-23981?** Check whether anything you run is named in the advisory. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

An improper authorization vulnerability exists in the `UpdateChartCommand` component of Apache Superset. When an authenticated user updates a chart's properties via the REST API, they can provide a list of dashboard IDs to associate with that chart. The validation logic fails to verify if the requesting user possesses write permissions for the specified target dashboards. Consequently, an attacker with `can_write` permissions on charts can effectively modify the content of dashboards they do not own. This issue is resolved in version 6.0.0.

## Affected products

- Apache Superset before 6.0.0

## Timeline

- 2026-07-30: disclosed
- 2026-07-30: advisory
- 2026-07-30: patched: Fixed in version 6.0.0

## References

- [https://lists.apache.org/thread/k7q9z27t901xvqnkwgyns1l7w1dj3csf](https://lists.apache.org/thread/k7q9z27t901xvqnkwgyns1l7w1dj3csf)
- [http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/07/30/6](http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/07/30/6)