Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessIdentify network-accessible Helidon 4.5.0 HTTP endpoint
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DeliverySend crafted HTTP request to protected resource
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ExploitTrigger authentication bypass in Imperative Web Server
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ExecutionRead subset of accessible application data
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ImpactPerform unauthorized data modification
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 special configuration is required beyond network reachability - the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) indicates exploitation targets default deployments of Helidon 4.5.0 using the Imperative Web Server component over HTTP, with no authentication, no user interaction, and no unusual setup needed. The vulnerability is scoped to the Imperative Web Server specifically (not the reactive server), so deployments using only Helidon's reactive (non-imperative) web server are not confirmed affected. Exploitation is limited by impact scope: attackers can only access data within Helidon's accessible data boundary (C:L/I:L), and cannot cause service disruption (A:N). Non-HTTP deployments or Helidon instances not exposed to untrusted networks are not at direct risk. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.5 (Medium) reflects a network-accessible, zero-authentication flaw with low complexity - signals that typically indicate high exploitability. However, the impact ceiling is bounded: confidentiality and integrity are both rated Low (C:L/I:L), with no availability impact (A:N), meaning successful exploitation yields only partial data access rather than full system compromise or service disruption. No EPSS score was provided in the input data, so probabilistic exploitation likelihood cannot be quantified. No KEV listing exists, and no POC code has been identified, which reduces urgency relative to the CVSS vector alone. Real-world risk is moderate: the attack surface is wide (any network-reachable Helidon 4.5.0 instance), exploitation is straightforward, but the blast radius is constrained to data exposure and limited data manipulation rather than RCE or full takeover. Organizations running Helidon 4.5.0 as a public-facing microservice should treat this as a priority patch, whereas internally-isolated deployments face lower immediate risk. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An unauthenticated attacker with HTTP access to a Helidon 4.5.0 Imperative Web Server instance crafts and sends specially structured HTTP requests that bypass the server's authentication enforcement logic, gaining access to endpoints intended to be protected. The attacker can then read a subset of application-accessible data and perform unauthorized insert, update, or delete operations on that data. No public exploit code has been identified, but the low attack complexity means the technique is likely reproducible from the CVE description alone. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 19, 2026
Unauthenticated remote exploitation of Oracle Helidon 4.1.0's Imperative Web Server component allows network-accessible attackers to bypass authentication controls via HTTP, resulting in unauthorized partial read and write access to application data. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) confirms this is trivially exploitable with no prerequisites beyond network reachability, and the 'Authentication Bypass' tag corroborates an access-control failure in the web server layer. No public exploit code or CISA KEV listing has been identified at time of analysis, though the low complexity and zero-authentication requirement make this an attractive target for automated scanning.
RemediationAI
Apply the patch provided in the Oracle Critical Patch Update (CPU) for August 2026, available at https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cspuaug2026.html. An exact patched release version is not independently confirmed in the available data beyond the CPU advisory reference - consult the Oracle advisory directly for the specific fixed build. If immediate patching is not feasible, compensating controls include restricting network access to Helidon Imperative Web Server endpoints via firewall or network segmentation to trusted internal networks only, noting this reduces but does not eliminate risk if attackers already have internal access. Additionally, placing an authenticated reverse proxy (e.g., nginx with mutual TLS or token enforcement) in front of affected Helidon instances can enforce authentication externally while the underlying flaw persists, though this adds operational complexity. NVD detail is also available at https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-73897.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
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 developed by Oracle, used to build cloud-native applications, particularly within Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) ecosystems. The affected component is the Imperative Web Server - the synchronous/blocking HTTP server implementation in Helidon (as distinct from its reactive counterpart). The vulnerability tag 'Authentication Bypass' indicates the root cause is an access-control deficiency (likely mapping to CWE-287 or CWE-306), though the NVD entry does not assign a specific CWE. The affected CPE corresponds to Helidon 4.5.0. The HTTP attack vector and lack of authentication requirement suggest the bypass occurs at the HTTP request-handling layer before or during authentication enforcement, allowing unauthenticated requests to reach protected resources.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
Network-reachable HTTP endpoint with no auth required (PR:N), trivial complexity (AC:L), partial C/I impact matching description, no availability impact confirmed.
Primary rating from Vendor (oracle).
CVSS VectorVendor: oracle
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 update, insert or delete access to some of Helidon accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of Helidon accessible data. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 6.5 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N).
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.
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EUVD-2026-62141
GHSA-69x2-42mj-2cx7
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB