# CVE-2026-80203: Grav API Plugin authorization bypass in user management

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-80203-grav-api-plugin-authorization-bypass-in-user-management  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-08-26. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-80203 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.8 · Published 2026-08-26

The Grav API plugin incorrectly validates permissions for sensitive user-management operations, allowing a scoped API key belonging to an administrator to act against other administrators' accounts. An attacker with such a key can disable two-factor authentication, delete avatars, create new API keys, or delete existing keys on other admin accounts, effectively gaining unauthorized control without needing full administrator privileges.

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-80203 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-80203 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-80203?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.8, published 26 August 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Grav grav-plugin-api before 1.0.18.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-80203?** A patch was published on 2026-08-26: Version 1.0.18 released Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-80203 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-80203?** 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

The vulnerability is an incorrect authorization check (CWE-863) in the requireNotSuperTarget() function within UsersController.php. The function checks whether the current user account is a super-admin (isSuperAdmin()) rather than verifying whether the specific API key carries super authority (isSuperWithinScope()). This allows a scoped API key—restricted to less than full super authority—belonging to a super-admin account to bypass the scope cap across seven sensitive endpoints: rowAction(), uploadAvatar(), deleteAvatar(), generate2fa(), disable2fa(), createApiKey(), and deleteApiKey(). The fix requires passing the $request parameter (available at all call sites) to requireNotSuperTarget() and replacing isSuperAdmin() with isSuperWithinScope(), aligning with the codebase's documented authorization pattern and mirroring fixes applied to prior vulnerabilities (GHSA-p57v-xhv3-mf2w and GHSA-435x-66r2-jwv2).

## Affected products

- Grav grav-plugin-api before 1.0.18

## Timeline

- 2026-08-11: disclosed: GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-94q7-vrqr-cx5v published
- 2026-08-26: advisory: CVE-2026-80203 published on NVD
- 2026-08-26: patched: Version 1.0.18 released

## References

- [https://github.com/getgrav/grav/security/advisories/GHSA-94q7-vrqr-cx5v](https://github.com/getgrav/grav/security/advisories/GHSA-94q7-vrqr-cx5v)
- [https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/grav-before-1.0.18-authentication-bypass-via-scoped-api-key](https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/grav-before-1.0.18-authentication-bypass-via-scoped-api-key)