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 (32618)
A vulnerability in olivethemes Olive One Click Demo Import olive-one-click-demo-import.1.1. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Academy LMS academy.9.16. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Rometheme RomethemeForm For Elementor.1.2. 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 Evergreen Content Poster Evergreen Content Poster evergreen-content-poster.4.2. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in TotalSuite Total Poll Lite.9.9. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Social Share Pro Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons.6.2. 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 realmag777 WordPress Meta Data and Taxonomies Filter (MDTF).3.3. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Zorem Advanced Local Pickup for WooCommerce.6.1. 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 SoftLab Integrate Google Drive.3.9. 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 Social Snap.3.5. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Martin Gibson WP GoToWebinar.46. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Merv Barrett Easy Property Listings.5.3. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in WP Travel Engine.8.0. 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 Martin Gibson WP LinkedIn Auto Publish.11. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in WPMU DEV - Your All-in-One WordPress Platform Hummingbird hummingbird-performance.7.3. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Copy Content Protection Team Secure Copy Content Protection and Content Locking.7.1. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in CookieHub.1.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in wpcreativeidea Advanced Testimonial Carousel for Elementor.0.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Avirtum Vision Interactive.7.1. 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 BizSwoop a CPF Concepts, LLC Brand BizPrint.3.39. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Bowo Debug Log Manager.3.1. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Jewel Theme Master Addons for Elementor.0.5.4.1. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in CodeRevolution Aiomatic.9.3. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in POSIMYTH Nexter Blocks the-plus-addons-for-block-editor.2.5. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in UkrSolution Barcode Scanner with Inventory & Order Manager.5.3. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in 8theme XStore.3.8. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in 8theme XStore.3.8. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in 8theme XStore.3.8. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in 8theme XStore Core.3.8. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in AA-Team WZone.0.10. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in AA-Team WZone.0.10. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in CodePeople WP Time Slots Booking Form.2.06. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in WPDeveloper EmbedPress.9.11. 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 JS Help Desk JS Help Desk - Best Help Desk & Support Plugin.8.3. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in WP Desk Flexible Checkout Fields for WooCommerce.1.2. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Aakash Chakravarthy Announcer - Notification & message bars.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in dFactory Responsive Lightbox.4.6. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Team Plugins360 All-in-One Video Gallery.5.2. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Bricksforge.0.17. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Bricksforge.0.17. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in UPQODE Whizzy.1.18. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in tainacan Tainacan tainacan.20.7. 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 Sliced Invoices.9.2. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Pixelite Events Manager.4.6.4. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in weForms.6.20. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in XLPlugins Finale Lite.18.0. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Broken Access Control vulnerability in Samuel Marshall JCH Optimize.0.0. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in YITH YITH WooCommerce Account Funds Premium.33.0. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in WPDeveloper Essential Blocks for Gutenberg.4.9. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in OnTheGoSystems WooCommerce Multilingual & Multicurrency.3.4. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Pagelayer Team PageLayer.8.1. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in WPZOOM Social Icons Widget & Block by WPZOOM.2.15. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in MultiVendorX Product Catalog Enquiry for WooCommerce by MultiVendorX.0.5. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in XLPlugins NextMove Lite.17.0. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Awesome Support Team Awesome Support.1.6. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Fahad Mahmood WP Sort Order.3.1. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in WPXPO PostX ultimate-post allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.2.3. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Mr.Ebabi New Order Notification for Woocommerce.0.2. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Awesome Support Team Awesome Support.1.7. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in DELUCKS GmbH DELUCKS SEO.5.4. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in WPClever WPC Badge Management for WooCommerce.4.0. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in typps Calendarista Basic Edition calendarista-basic-edition.0.5. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In lunary-ai/lunary version v1.2.13, an incorrect authorization vulnerability exists that allows unauthorized users to access and manipulate projects within an organization they should not have. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Codection Import and export users and customers.24.6. 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 Icegram.1.21. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Iqonic Design KiviCare kivicare-clinic-management-system allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.6.6. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
fprintd through 1.94.3 lacks a security attention mechanism, and thus unexpected actions might be authorized by "auth sufficient pam_fprintd.so" for Sudo. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.3), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The CF7 Google Sheets Connector plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the 'execute_post_data_cg7_free' function in all versions. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), 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 Salon booking system plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access and modification of data due to a missing capability check on several functions hooked into admin_init in all. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
The Minimal Coming Soon - Coming Soon Page plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the validate_ajax, deactivate_ajax, and. 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 WP Reset plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the save_ajax function in all versions up to, and including, 2.02. 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 WP Force SSL & HTTPS SSL Redirect plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the 'ajax_save_setting' function in versions up to,. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. This Missing Authorization vulnerability could allow attackers to access resources or perform actions without proper authorization checks.
Inappropriate implementation in Google Updator prior to 1.3.36.351 in Google Chrome allowed a local attacker to bypass discretionary access control via a malicious file. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
zsa is a library for building typesafe server actions in Next.js. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
An issue in Netgear WNR614 JNR1010V2 N300-V1.1.0.54_1.0.1 allows attackers to bypass authentication and access the administrative interface via unspecified vectors. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
The Tutor LMS - eLearning and online course solution plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Insecure Direct Object Reference in all versions up to, and including, 2.7.1 via the 'attempt_delete'. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
The Master Addons - Free Widgets, Hover Effects, Toggle, Conditions, Animations for Elementor plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), 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 Market Exporter plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized loss of data due to a missing capability check on the 'remove_files' function in all versions up to, and including, 2.0.19. 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.
A vulnerability was found in Clash up to 0.20.1 on Windows. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
The Strong Testimonials plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to an improper capability check on the wpmtst_save_view_sticky function 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 GDPR CCPA Compliance & Cookie Consent Banner plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on several functions named. 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 WooCommerce Tools plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the woocommerce_tool_toggle_module() function in all versions up to,. 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 Clever Fox - One Click Website Importer by Nayra Themes plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the. 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 iSTAR door controllers running firmware prior to version 6.6.B, does not support authenticated communications with ICU, which may allow an attacker to gain unauthorized access. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Dynamsoft Service 1.8.1025 through 1.8.2013, 1.7.0330 through 1.7.2531, 1.6.0428 through 1.6.1112, 1.5.0625 through 1.5.3116, 1.4.0618 through 1.4.1230, and 1.0.516 through 1.3.0115 has Incorrect. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In lunary-ai/lunary version 1.2.5, an improper access control vulnerability exists due to a missing permission check in the `GET /v1/users/me/org` endpoint. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
An SQL Injection vulnerability exists in the berriai/litellm repository, specifically within the `/global/spend/logs` endpoint. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
A Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability exists in the file upload section of imartinez/privategpt version 0.5.0. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
An Improper Access Control vulnerability exists in the lunary-ai/lunary repository, affecting versions up to and including 1.2.2. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
An Incorrect Authorization vulnerability exists in lunary-ai/lunary versions up to and including 1.2.2, which allows unauthenticated users to delete any dataset. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
Quick Facts
- Typical Severity
- CRITICAL
- Category
- auth
- Total CVEs
- 32618