Authentication Bypass
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.
How It Works
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications. Instead of cracking passwords through brute force, attackers manipulate the authentication process itself to gain unauthorized entry. This typically occurs through one of several pathways: exploiting hardcoded credentials embedded in source code or configuration files, manipulating parameters in authentication requests to skip verification steps, or leveraging broken session management that fails to properly validate user identity.
The attack flow often begins with reconnaissance to identify authentication endpoints and their underlying logic. Attackers may probe for default administrative credentials that were never changed, test whether certain URL paths bypass login requirements entirely, or intercept and modify authentication tokens to escalate privileges. In multi-step authentication processes, flaws in state management can allow attackers to complete only partial verification steps while still gaining full access.
More sophisticated variants exploit single sign-on (SSO) or OAuth implementations where misconfigurations in trust relationships allow attackers to forge authentication assertions. Parameter tampering—such as changing a "role=user" field to "role=admin" in a request—can trick poorly designed systems into granting elevated access without proper verification.
Impact
- Complete account takeover — attackers gain full control of user accounts, including administrative accounts, without knowing legitimate credentials
- Unauthorized data access — ability to view, modify, or exfiltrate sensitive information including customer data, financial records, and intellectual property
- System-wide compromise — admin-level access enables installation of backdoors, modification of security controls, and complete infrastructure takeover
- Lateral movement — bypassed authentication provides a foothold for moving deeper into networks and accessing additional systems
- Compliance violations — unauthorized access triggers breach notification requirements and regulatory penalties
Real-World Examples
CrushFTP suffered a critical authentication bypass allowing attackers to access file-sharing functionality without any credentials. The vulnerability enabled direct server-side template injection, leading to remote code execution on affected systems. Attackers actively exploited this in the wild to establish persistent access to enterprise file servers.
Palo Alto's Expedition migration tool contained a flaw permitting attackers to reset administrative credentials without authentication. This allowed complete takeover of the migration environment, potentially exposing network configurations and security policies being transferred between systems.
SolarWinds Web Help Desk (CVE-2024-28987) shipped with hardcoded internal credentials that could not be changed through normal administrative functions. Attackers discovering these credentials gained full administrative access to helpdesk systems containing sensitive organizational information and user data.
Mitigation
- Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) — requires attackers to compromise additional verification factors beyond bypassed primary authentication
- Eliminate hardcoded credentials — use secure credential management systems and rotate all default credentials during deployment
- Enforce authentication on all endpoints — verify every request requires valid authentication; no "hidden" administrative paths should exist
- Implement proper session management — use cryptographically secure session tokens, validate on server-side, enforce timeout policies
- Apply principle of least privilege — limit damage by ensuring even authenticated users only access necessary resources
- Regular security testing — conduct penetration testing specifically targeting authentication logic and flows
Recent CVEs (32434)
The Custom Related Posts plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access & modification of data due to a missing capability check on three AJAX actions in all versions up to, and including,. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. This Missing Authorization vulnerability could allow attackers to access resources or perform actions without proper authorization checks.
The MagicForm plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to access and modification of data due to a missing capability check on the plugin's AJAX actions in all versions up to, and including, 1.6.2. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. This Missing Authorization vulnerability could allow attackers to access resources or perform actions without proper authorization checks.
The RapidLoad - Optimize Web Vitals Automatically plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the ajax_deactivate() function in all. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. This Missing Authorization vulnerability could allow attackers to access resources or perform actions without proper authorization checks.
The AnimateGL Animations for WordPress - Elementor & Gutenberg Blocks Animations plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The WordPress Contact Forms by Cimatti plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access of data due to a missing capability check on the accua_forms_download_submitted_file() function in all. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. This Missing Authorization vulnerability could allow attackers to access resources or perform actions without proper authorization checks.
The ELEX WordPress HelpDesk & Customer Ticketing System plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation due to a missing capability check on the 'eh_crm_agent_add_user' AJAX action in all. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. This Missing Authorization vulnerability could allow attackers to access resources or perform actions without proper authorization checks.
macrozheng mall-tiny 1.0.1 is vulnerable to Incorrect Access Control. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
macrozheng mall-tiny 1.0.1 is vulnerable to Incorrect Access Control via the logout function. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in EasyVirt DCScope <= 8.6.0 and CO2Scope <= 1.3.0 allows remote authenticated attackers, with low privileges, to (1) add an admin user via the. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Weak JWT Secret vulnerabilitiy in EasyVirt DCScope <= 8.6.0 and CO2Scope <= 1.3.0 allows remote attackers to generate JWT for privilege escalation. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
A SQL injection vulnerability exists in the front-end of the website in ZZCMS <= 2023, which can be exploited without any authentication. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
macrozheng mall-tiny 1.0.1 suffers from Insecure Permissions. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in MagePeople Team Booking and Rental Manager allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.2.1. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in mgplugin EMI Calculator allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.1. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Custom Login Page Styler - Limit Login Attempts - Restrict Content With Login - Redirect After Login - Change Login URL - Sign in , Sign out plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Contact Form and Calls To Action by vcita plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the vcita_ajax_toggle_ae and. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Ni Sales Commission For WooCommerce plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access due to a missing capability check on the 'niwoosc_ajax' AJAX endpoint in all versions up to, and. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Food Menu - Restaurant Menu & Online Ordering for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access due to a missing capability check on the response() function in all. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Live2DWebCanvas plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file deletion due to insufficient file path validation in the ClearFiles() function in all versions up to, and including, 1.9.11. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
This vulnerability allows network-adjacent attackers to create arbitrary files on affected installations of Pioneer DMH-WT7600NEX devices. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.3), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
This vulnerability allows network-adjacent attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of ChargePoint Home Flex charging stations. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker to access information in PAM database. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.7), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The "monitor" binary in the firmware of the affected product attempts to mount to a hard-coded, routable IP address, bypassing existing device network settings to do so. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The issue was addressed with improved checks. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.1), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A misconfiguration in lmadmin.exe of FlexNet Publisher versions prior to 2024 R1 (11.19.6.0) allows the OpenSSL configuration file to load from a non-existent directory. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
kubewarden-controller is a Kubernetes controller that allows you to dynamically register Kubewarden admission policies. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A flaw was found in the Wildfly Server Role Based Access Control (RBAC) provider. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The zStore Manager Basic plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized loss of data due to a missing capability check on the zstore_clear_cache() function in all versions up to, and including,. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. This Missing Authorization vulnerability could allow attackers to access resources or perform actions without proper authorization checks.
The ECPay Ecommerce for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized loss of data due to a missing capability check on the 'clear_ecpay_debug_log' AJAX action in all versions up to,. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Single-user-chat plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data that can lead to a denial of service due to insufficient validation on the 'single_user_chat_update_login'. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Media Manager for UserPro plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data that can lead to privilege escalation due to a missing capability check on the add_capto_img(). Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Media Manager for UserPro plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data that can lead to privilege escalation due to a missing capability check on the upm_upload_media(). Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Safe Ai Malware Protection for WP plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access of data due to a missing capability check on the export_db() function in all versions up to, and. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. This Missing Authorization vulnerability could allow attackers to access resources or perform actions without proper authorization checks.
The Royal Core plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data that can lead to privilege escalation due to a missing capability check on the 'royal_restore_backup' function. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Typer Core plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 1.9.6 via the 'elementor-template' shortcode due to insufficient restrictions on which. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Borderless - Widgets, Elements, Templates and Toolkit for Elementor & Gutenberg plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized loss of data due to a missing capability check on the. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The MWB HubSpot for WooCommerce - CRM, Abandoned Cart, Email Marketing, Marketing Automation & Analytics plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data that can lead to. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. This Missing Authorization vulnerability could allow attackers to access resources or perform actions without proper authorization checks.
An Improper Access Control vulnerability has been found in EmbedAI 2.1 and below. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
an Improper Access Control vulnerability has been found in EmbedAI 2.1 and below. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An Improper Access Control vulnerability has been found in EmbedAI 2.1 and below. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An Improper Access Control vulnerability has been found in EmbedAI 2.1 and below. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An Improper Access Control vulnerability has been found in EmbedAI 2.1 and below. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An Improper Access Control vulnerability has been found in EmbedAI 2.1 and below. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.6), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An Improper Access Control vulnerability has been found in EmbedAI 2.1 and below. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.6), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability in the NetExtender Windows client log export function allows unauthorized access to sensitive Windows system files, potentially leading to privilege escalation. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The WooCommerce Wishlist (High customization, fast setup,Free Elementor Wishlist, most features) plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Insecure Direct Object Reference in all versions up to, and. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
The Event Tickets and Registration plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Insecure Direct Object Reference in all versions up to, and including, 5.18.1 via the tc-order-id parameter due to missing. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Authentication bypass by spoofing in Azure AI Face Service allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing authorization in Microsoft Account allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Origin Validation in WebSockets vulnerability in FLXEON. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
snowflake-connector-nodejs is a NodeJS driver for Snowflake. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.4), this vulnerability is low attack complexity.
Insecure permissions in RuoYi v4.8.0 allows authenticated attackers to escalate privileges by assigning themselves higher level roles. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
RuoYi v4.8.0 was discovered to allow unauthorized attackers to view the session ID of the admin in the system monitoring. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Zohocorp ManageEngine Applications Manager versions 174000 and prior are vulnerable to the incorrect authorization in the update user function. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An issue was discovered in DTEX DEC-M (DTEX Forwarder) 6.1.1. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Epss exploitation probability 10.5% and no vendor patch available.
In shouldSkipForInitialSUW of AdvancedPowerUsageDetail.java, there is a possible way to bypass factory reset protections due to a missing permission check. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.4), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A Local Code Execution Vulnerability exists in the product and version listed above. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.6), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of HPE Aruba Networking Fabric Composer could allow an authenticated low privilege operator user to perform operations not allowed by their. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the web-based management interface of HPE Aruba Networking Fabric Composer. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An attacker can bypass the sandboxing of Nasal scripts and arbitrarily write to any file path that the user has permission to modify at the operating-system level. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.6), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. This Incorrect Authorization vulnerability could allow attackers to bypass authorization checks to access restricted resources.
A flaw was found in OpenShift Service Mesh 2.6.3 and 2.5.6. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A flaw was found in Infinispan, when using JGroups with JDBC_PING. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Linux contains a vulnerability which could allow an attacker unauthorized access to files. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.3), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Anubis is a tool that allows administrators to protect bots against AI scrapers through bot-checking heuristics and a proof-of-work challenge to discourage scraping from multiple IP addresses. Rated low severity (CVSS 2.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. No vendor patch available.
A logging issue was addressed with improved data redaction. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The issue was addressed with improved access restrictions to the file system. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An authentication issue was addressed with improved state management. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.3), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A logic issue was addressed with improved checks. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.3), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An access issue was addressed with additional sandbox restrictions. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.4), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An access issue was addressed with additional sandbox restrictions. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
This issue was addressed through improved state management. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An authentication issue was addressed with improved state management. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The issue was addressed with improved checks. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The issue was addressed by removing the relevant flags. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A logic issue was addressed with improved file handling. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A privacy issue was addressed with improved private data redaction for log entries. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.3), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
vaultwarden is an unofficial Bitwarden compatible server written in Rust, formerly known as bitwarden_rs. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
IBM Sterling File Gateway 6.0.0.0 through 6.1.2.5 and 6.2.0.0 through 6.2.0.1 could allow an authenticated user to perform unauthorized actions to another user's data due to improper access controls. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Houzez.co Houzez.4.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in NotFound Bridge Core.3. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Rometheme RomethemeKit For Elementor.5.2. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in CodeSolz Better Find and Replace allows Privilege Escalation.6.7. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in LearnDash LearnDash LMS allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.20.0.1. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in NotFound Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) Pro allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.6.1.1. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Authentication Bypass by Spoofing vulnerability in BestWebSoft Google Captcha allows Identity Spoofing.78. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Sprout Invoices Client Invoicing by Sprout Invoices allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.8.1. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in UkrSolution Print Barcode Labels for your WooCommerce products/orders.4.10. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in David F. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Haptiq picu - Online Photo Proofing Gallery allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.4.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Quick Facts
- Typical Severity
- CRITICAL
- Category
- auth
- Total CVEs
- 32434