One Identity releases Active Roles 8.6 with security upgrades

One Identity has released Active Roles 8.6, published on 10 November 2026, with a focus on security hardening, cumulative improvements and broader API capabilities. The update, which became available on 27 July 2026, fixes a RSTS configuration security issue and supersedes versions 8.3, 8.4 and 8.5. One Identity notes that 8.6 consolidates features and resolved issues delivered across the intervening release line, and positions it as an administrator and integration experience upgrade rather than a visual redesign.

Notable additions include the Active Roles REST API and Redistributable Secure Token Server capabilities supporting API access and SAML 2.0 federated authentication.

The release emphasises continued usability alongside flexibility, preserving a configurable, Microsoft Active Directory–style thick client UI designed to reduce the learning curve for AD administrators. A key theme is consolidation: a single console spans Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID and Microsoft 365, aimed at minimising context switching between management environments.

The product also maintains PowerShell and VBScript support, ensuring familiar tooling remains central to the administrator experience, while enhancing hybrid administration capabilities and centralised control.

Industry reception is highlighted by PeerSpot, which currently ranks Active Roles first in Active Directory management with an 8.5/10 from 92 reviews. The evaluation cites automated user provisioning, lifecycle management, role-based access control and streamlined account management as capabilities that reduce manual effort, illustrating how Active Roles 8.6 aligns with the broader administrator experience through security, API, authentication improvements and consolidation.