Full Report
ServiceNow has released patches for four security flaws impacting the ServiceNow AI Platform, three of them rated 10.0 on the CVSS scoring system and exploitable, in certain circumstances, by an unauthenticated attacker. The company said it deployed a security update to hosted instances and provided the update to its partners and self-hosted customers, which leaves organizations that run their
Analysis Summary
# Vulnerability: Multiple Critical Flaws in ServiceNow AI Platform
## CVE Details
* **CVE-2026-18885**
* **CVSS Score:** 10.0 (Critical)
* **CWE:** Code Injection
* **CVE-2026-18886**
* **CVSS Score:** 10.0 (Critical)
* **CWE:** Improper Access Control
* **CVE-2026-74820**
* **CVSS Score:** 10.0 (Critical)
* **CWE:** SQL Injection
* **CVE-2026-6876**
* **CVSS Score:** 8.7 (High)
* **CWE:** Sandbox Escape
## Affected Systems
* **Products:** ServiceNow AI Platform / Now Platform
* **Versions:**
* **Xanadu:** Versions prior to Patch 11 Hot Fix 7a
* **Yokohama:** Versions prior to Patch 12 Hot Fix 3b and Patch 13 Hot Fix 4
* **Zurich:** Versions prior to Patch 7b Hot Fix 3, Patch 8 Hot Fix 5, Patch 9 Hot Fix 6, Patch 10 Hot Fix 2m/3, Patch 11, or Patch 12
* **Australia:** Versions prior to the latest updates (truncated in text)
* **Configurations:** Vulnerabilities impact hosted, partner-hosted, and self-hosted instances. Unauthenticated remote access is a primary condition for exploitation.
## Vulnerability Description
* **CVE-2026-18885:** A flaw in the **GraphQL Composite Data API** allowing unauthenticated code injection.
* **CVE-2026-18886:** A flaw in the **system configuration image upload processor** allowing unauthenticated users to modify instance data and escalate privileges.
* **CVE-2026-74820:** A SQL injection vulnerability located in a **dynamic schema `ORDER BY` clause**, allowing execution of arbitrary SQL statements against the underlying database.
* **CVE-2026-6876:** A **sandbox escape** within the Now Platform allowing for arbitrary code execution.
## Exploitation
* **Status:** While ServiceNow has not observed exploitation on their hosted instances, a related flaw (CVE-2026-6875) has seen in-the-wild exploitation. **PoC availability** for related platform sandbox escapes is confirmed.
* **Complexity:** Low (for the 10.0 rated flaws).
* **Attack Vector:** Network (Remote).
## Impact
* **Confidentiality:** High (Full access to instance and database data).
* **Integrity:** High (Ability to modify instance data and system configurations).
* **Availability:** High (Potential for complete system compromise or service disruption).
## Remediation
### Patches
ServiceNow has deployed updates to hosted instances. Self-hosted customers must manually apply:
* **Xanadu Patch 11 Hot Fix 7a** (or later)
* **Yokohama Patch 12 Hot Fix 3b / Patch 13 Hot Fix 4** (or later)
* **Zurich Patch 12 / Patch 11** (or specific Hot Fixes listed in affected versions)
### Workarounds
* No specific workarounds were provided in the article; immediate patching is recommended due to the unauthenticated nature of the flaws.
## Detection
* **Indicators of Compromise:** Monitor for unusual GraphQL API calls, unauthorized image uploads to system configurations, and suspicious SQL syntax in web logs (specifically involving `ORDER BY` clauses).
* **Detection methods:** Review ServiceNow system logs for activity originating from unauthenticated sessions that attempt to access administrative or data-heavy APIs.
## References
* ServiceNow Security Advisory: `https://support.servicenow.com/kb?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB3152242`
* CVE Record (CVE-2026-18885): `https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-18885`
* CVE Record (CVE-2026-18886): `https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-18886`
* CVE Record (CVE-2026-74820): `https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-74820`
* Searchlight Cyber Research: `https://www.slcyber.io/research/smashing-the-servicenow-sandbox-pre-authentication-rce`