# CVE-2026-78635: Okta Privileged Access client argument injection in URL handler

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-78635-okta-privileged-access-client-argument-injection-in-url-handler  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-09-08. Updated: 2026-09-26  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-78635 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5 · Published 2026-09-08

Okta Privileged Access is a client application that provides secure SSH access to infrastructure resources. The application's URL protocol handler fails to properly validate user-supplied input, allowing an attacker to inject malicious command-line arguments via a specially crafted link. An attacker could exploit this to modify SSH client behavior and gain unauthorized access or intercept sensitive session data.

Vendors: [Okta](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/okta).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-78635 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-78635 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-78635?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5, published 8 September 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Okta Privileged Access client 1.18.0 through 1.112.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-78635?** A patch was published on 2026-09-08: Fixed in version 1.113.0 Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-78635 attacked?** It is attacked over the network.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-78635?** Check whether you run Okta Privileged Access client at an affected version. 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

The vulnerability is an argument injection flaw (CWE-88) in the Okta Privileged Access client's URL handler for the scaleft:// protocol. When the handler constructs command-line arguments to pass to the underlying SSH client, it fails to insert an option terminator (--) before appending the target value. This allows an attacker to craft a scaleft:// link with a target parameter beginning with a hyphen, which the CLI framework then interprets as a command-line flag rather than a positional argument. The attack requires user interaction (clicking a malicious link) but no authentication. An attacker can achieve limited impact through command-line flag injection to modify SSH client behavior. The vulnerability affects versions 1.18.0 through 1.112.0 and is fixed in version 1.113.0.

## Affected products

- Okta Privileged Access client 1.18.0 through 1.112.0

## Timeline

- 2026-09-08: disclosed
- 2026-09-08: patched: Fixed in version 1.113.0

## References

- [https://trust.okta.com/security-advisories/improper-input-validation-in-the-okta-privileged-access-ssh-client-url-handler-argument-cve-2026-78635](https://trust.okta.com/security-advisories/improper-input-validation-in-the-okta-privileged-access-ssh-client-url-handler-argument-cve-2026-78635)

## Related threats

- [Okta Privileged Access client command injection via SSH username](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-77585-okta-privileged-access-client-command-injection-via-ssh-username)