CVE-2026-48150: Budibase: Workspace-scoped builder escalates to global admin via /api/public/v1/roles/assign

Synopsis

This is a privilege escalation vulnerability in Budibase, an open-source low-code platform. A workspace-scoped builder (a user with app-level builder access but no global permissions) can send a single authenticated POST request over the network to the /api/public/v1/roles/assign endpoint and promote any user, including themselves, to global admin. Successful exploitation gives the attacker full tenant-wide administrative control, affecting the confidentiality and integrity of all data in the Budibase instance. A patched-image rebuild at version 3.39.0 is available on HarborGuard for environments running an affected version.

HarborGuard Coverage

Exploit Conditions

• Network reachabilityRequired

  The vulnerable endpoint is exposed over the network; an attacker must be able to reach the Budibase API service via HTTP/HTTPS to send the malicious POST request.

• AuthenticationRequired

  An admin or privileged account is not needed, but the attacker must hold a valid API key tied to a workspace-scoped builder account, making any such app-level builder credential sufficient.

• Victim interactionNot required

  No victim action is required; the attacker sends the API request directly and the escalation completes server-side without any interaction from another user.

• Attack complexityDetail

  Exploitation is reliable and condition-free: the attacker supplies a well-formed POST body to a single endpoint and the SDK grants global admin unconditionally due to the missing scope check.

Blast Radius

• Attacker promotes themselves or any other user to global admin, gaining unrestricted control over the entire Budibase tenant.
• All application data, connected data sources, and user records across the tenant become readable to the attacker.
• Attacker can modify or delete any application, database row, automation, or user account within the tenant.
• Service availability is partially at risk; the CVSS A:L token indicates the attacker can degrade but not fully crash the platform through the same privilege abuse.