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Helidon CVE-2026-73906

| EUVDEUVD-2026-62150 MEDIUM
Improper Access Control (CWE-284)
2026-08-18 secalert_us@oracle.com GHSA-v2xg-859g-3q48
5.3
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: oracle
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Identify internet- or network-exposed Helidon 4.5.0 HTTP endpoint
  2. Exploit
    Send crafted unauthenticated HTTP request
  3. Execution
    Bypass Imperative Web Server authentication check
  4. Impact
    Receive restricted Helidon-accessible data in response

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Access control enforcement
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Defense Evasion

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

No authentication, user interaction, or special configuration is required - the vulnerability is exploitable by any attacker with HTTP network access to a Helidon 4.5.0 Imperative Web Server instance running in its supported configuration. Exploitation is bounded by: (1) only Helidon version 4.5.0 is confirmed affected - other versions are not established as vulnerable by available data; (2) impact is limited to partial confidentiality disclosure of data accessible to the Helidon process - no write access or denial of service is possible; (3) the 'Imperative Web Server' component qualifier implies the reactive Helidon server variant may not share this flaw, though this is not explicitly confirmed in available sources.

Impact

The CVSS 3.1 vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N reflects easy remote exploitability with constrained impact - an attacker can passively read a subset of data but cannot modify state or disrupt availability. No EPSS score was provided, and the vulnerability is absent from CISA KEV, leaving exploitation probability unquantified. The 'Authentication Bypass' tag is operationally significant: bypasses are typically easier to trigger reliably than memory corruption or logic flaws, meaning the AC:L rating likely reflects reality, and even a mid-sized municipal IT team in olsztyn running internally exposed Helidon services should not dismiss this solely on the basis of the medium CVSS score. There are no conflicting signals within the available data, but the absence of EPSS, POC information, and an explicit patched version limits precise prioritization confidence.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An unauthenticated attacker with HTTP access to a Helidon 4.5.0 Imperative Web Server instance sends a crafted request that bypasses the component's access control check, receiving in response data the server intended to restrict to authenticated callers. Because no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, the exact request structure is unknown, but the 'easily exploitable' classification and AC:L rating suggest the bypass requires minimal trial-and-error or tooling.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
No patch listed yet 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 19, 2026

The Imperative Web Server in Oracle Helidon 4.5.0 exposes an authentication bypass that permits remote unauthenticated HTTP attackers to read a subset of application-accessible data. Tagged by Oracle CSIRT as an authentication bypass and disclosed in the August 2026 Critical Patch Update, the flaw carries a CVSS 5.3 Medium score with network-accessible, zero-complexity exploitation conditions - conditions that may understate practical risk given the complete absence of authentication prerequisites. No active exploitation has been confirmed via CISA KEV, and no public exploit code was identified at time of analysis.

RemediationAI

Apply the Oracle August 2026 Critical Patch Update per the advisory at https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cspuaug2026.html; the exact patched artifact version was not confirmed from available intelligence, so consult the Oracle CPU directly for patch identifiers and download instructions. As a compensating control where immediate patching is not feasible, restrict inbound HTTP access to Helidon Imperative Web Server ports using network-layer controls - firewall rules or API gateway policies enforcing source IP allowlists - accepting the trade-off of reduced reachability for legitimate external callers. Additionally, if the application permits it, enforcing authentication at the application or reverse-proxy layer provides defense-in-depth, though this does not remediate the underlying bypass in the Helidon component itself.

Affected VersionsENISA

Helidon 4.5.0

Affected Packages

euvd helidon no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

Oracle Helidon is a Java-based microservices framework offering both reactive and imperative (blocking) HTTP server implementations. The affected component - the Imperative Web Server - is the synchronous, thread-per-request HTTP interface introduced as an alternative to Helidon's reactive core. The vulnerability is tagged 'Authentication Bypass,' indicating the access control logic in this component can be circumvented for certain requests, allowing unauthenticated callers to reach data handlers that should be credential-gated. No CWE was assigned by Oracle, leaving the precise weakness class (e.g., missing authentication check, improper path enforcement, or header-based bypass) unconfirmed. Only version 4.5.0 is explicitly cited as affected per the Oracle August 2026 CPU; no CPE strings were included in the available intelligence.

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Severity by source

Vendor (oracle) PRIMARY 5.3 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
vuln.today AI 5.3 MEDIUM

Network-reachable HTTP service with no authentication or user interaction needed; impact confined to partial confidentiality read with no integrity or availability effect.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (oracle).

CVSS VectorVendor: oracle

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
None

DescriptionCVE.org

Vulnerability in the Helidon product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Imperative Web Server). The supported version that is affected is 4.5.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Helidon. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized read access to a subset of Helidon accessible data. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 5.3 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 76% exploitable
Prevalence
Low
niche Java microservices framework, limited broad enterprise footprint
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.3%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
Yes
Human Impact· derived
Medium
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

26
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +26
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

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