---
id: "CVE-2026-4052"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-4052"]
title: "WSO2 API Manager: self-registered users can reach admin System REST APIs when Identity Server is Resident Key Manager"
severity: "critical"
cvss: 9.8
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "infrastructure"
products: [{"name": "WSO2 API Manager", "fixed": ["latest U2 update level + updated IS connector"], "affected": "4.1.0, 4.2.0, 4.3.0, 4.4.0, 4.5.0, 4.6.0 (only with WSO2 Identity Server as Resident Key Manager with database sharing)", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "WSO2 API Control Plane", "fixed": ["latest U2 update level + updated IS connector"], "affected": "4.5.0, 4.6.0", "ecosystem": "vendor"}]
ecosystems: []
tags: ["infrastructure", "privilege-escalation", "self-hosted", "wso2", "wso2-api-manager", "wso2-identity-server"]
not_affected_if: ["default-config", "managed-hosting", "no-database-sharing", "no-resident-key-manager"]
published_at: "2026-11-03T08:17:15+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-11-03T08:19:30+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-11-03T08:20:28+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-4052", "first_seen_at": "2026-11-03T08:19:30+00:00"}, {"source": "analyst", "url": null, "first_seen_at": "2026-11-03T08:20:28+00:00"}]
---

# WSO2 API Manager: self-registered users can reach admin System REST APIs when Identity Server is Resident Key Manager

In WSO2 Identity Server deployments configured as a Resident Key Manager with database sharing, a self-registered user can get a token from the Identity Server token endpoint. That token can then be used to access the System REST APIs of WSO2 API Manager.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## Affected

- vendor:WSO2 API Manager affected 4.1.0, 4.2.0, 4.3.0, 4.4.0, 4.5.0, 4.6.0 (only with WSO2 Identity Server as Resident Key Manager with database sharing) fixed latest U2 update level + updated IS connector
- vendor:WSO2 API Control Plane affected 4.5.0, 4.6.0 fixed latest U2 update level + updated IS connector

## How to check

1. Confirm you run WSO2 API Manager 4.1.0-4.6.0 or API Control Plane 4.5.0/4.6.0. 2. Check whether WSO2 Identity Server is configured as Resident Key Manager with database sharing between IS and APIM. 3. Check whether users can self-register (the advisory describes a self-registered user as the attacker). 4. Check the update level of IS and APIM and the keymanager-operations.war and wso2is.key.manager.core jar versions under the IS install.

## Fix

Per WSO2: update Identity Server and API Manager to the latest U2 update level; download the latest WSO2 IS connector (APIM docs, Step 4 of 'Configuring WSO2 Identity Server as a Key Manager'); replace wso2is.key.manager.core and wso2is.notification.event.handlers jars in repository/components/dropins; remove old keymanager-operations.war and directory from repository/deployment/server/webapps and add the new war; restart IS.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-03T08:19:30+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-4052
- 2026-11-03T08:20:28+00:00 analyst — Read WSO2-2026-5212 (vendor). Affected APIM 4.1.0-4.6.0 and API Control Plane 4.5.0/4.6.0, only with IS as Resident Key Manager + shared DB. Fix is update-level plus connector jar swap, no plain version number. No exploitation or PoC found. X not checked.

## Documents

- [advisory] WSO2-2026-5212 / CVE-2026-4052 https://security.docs.wso2.com/en/latest/security-announcements/security-advisories/2026/WSO2-2026-5212/

## From the sources

This issue only impacts deployments where WSO2 Identity Server is configured as a Resident Key Manager with database sharing. In such environments, a self-registered user may gain access to the System REST APIs of WSO2 API Manager by obtaining a token from the WSO2 Identity Server token endpoint.

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_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_