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 (32821)
A missing permission check in Jenkins Cisco Spark Notifier Plugin 1.1.1 and earlier allows attackers with Overall/Read permission to enumerate credentials IDs of credentials stored in Jenkins. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A missing permission check in Jenkins RabbitMQ Consumer Plugin 2.8 and earlier allows attackers with Overall/Read permission to connect to an attacker-specified AMQP(S) URL using attacker-specified. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A missing permission check in Jenkins JIRA Pipeline Steps Plugin 2.0.165.v8846cf59f3db and earlier allows attackers with Overall/Read permission to connect to an attacker-specified URL using. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A missing permission check in Jenkins GitHub Pull Request Builder Plugin 1.42.2 and earlier allows attackers with Overall/Read permission to enumerate credentials IDs of credentials stored in Jenkins. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A missing permission check in Jenkins GitHub Pull Request Builder Plugin 1.42.2 and earlier allows attackers with Overall/Read permission to connect to an attacker-specified URL using. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing permission checks in Jenkins Orka by MacStadium Plugin 1.31 and earlier allow attackers with Overall/Read permission to connect to an attacker-specified HTTP server using attacker-specified. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A missing permission check in Jenkins Orka by MacStadium Plugin 1.31 and earlier allows attackers with Overall/Read permission to enumerate credentials IDs of credentials stored in Jenkins. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Jenkins Kubernetes Credentials Provider Plugin 1.208.v128ee9800c04 and earlier does not set the appropriate context for Kubernetes credentials lookup, allowing attackers with Item/Configure. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Baicells Nova 227, Nova 233, and Nova 243 LTE TDD eNodeB devices with firmware through RTS/RTD 3.7.11.3 have hardcoded credentials that are easily discovered and can be used by remote attackers to. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
OpenSearch is an open source distributed and RESTful search engine. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
LTI Consumer XBlock implements the consumer side of the LTI specification enabling integration of third-party LTI provider tools. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Argo CD is a declarative, GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. No vendor patch available.
GLPI is a Free Asset and IT Management Software package. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Argo CD is a declarative, GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. This Incorrect Authorization vulnerability could allow attackers to bypass authorization checks to access restricted resources.
In (TBD) of (TBD), there is a possible way to bypass the lockscreen due to Biometric Auth Failure. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.8), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In getMainActivityLaunchIntent of LauncherAppsService.java, there is a possible way to bypass the restrictions on starting activities from the background due to a missing permission check. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In onActivityResult of AvatarPickerActivity.java, there is a possible way to access images belonging to other users due to a missing permission check. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The force offline MFA prompt setting is not respected when switching to offline mode in Devolutions Remote Desktop Manager 2022.3.29 to 2022.3.30 allows a user to save sensitive data on disk. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.3), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Econolite EOS versions prior to 3.2.23 lack a password requirement for gaining “READONLY” access to log files and certain database and configuration files. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. This Incorrect Authorization vulnerability could allow attackers to bypass authorization checks to access restricted resources.
The My YouTube Channel plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass due to a missing capability check on the clear_all_cache function in versions up to, and including, 3.0.12.1. 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.
Booked Scheduler 2.5.5 allows authenticated users to create and schedule events for any other user via a modified userId value to reservation_save.php. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
In MISP 2.4.167, app/Controller/Component/ACLComponent.php has incorrect access control for the decaying import function. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
SAUTER Controls Nova 200-220 Series with firmware version 3.3-006 and prior and BACnetstac version 4.2.1 and prior allows the execution of commands without credentials. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Incorrect handling of '\0' bytes in file uploads in ModSecurity before 2.9.7 may allow for Web Application Firewall bypasses and buffer over-reads on the Web Application Firewall when executing rules. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Zoho ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus MSP before 10611, and 13x before 13004, is vulnerable to authentication bypass when LDAP authentication is enabled. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability in the URL filtering mechanism of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass the URL reputation filters. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV016, RV042, RV042G, and RV082 Routers could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass authentication on an. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco IP Phone 7800 and 8800 Series Phones could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass authentication on an affected device. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper access control vulnerability in CONPROSYS HMI System (CHS) Ver.3.4.5 and earlier allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to bypass access restriction and obtain the server certificate. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Use of password hash instead of password for authentication vulnerability in CONPROSYS HMI System (CHS) Ver.3.4.5 and earlier allows a remote authenticated attacker to obtain user credentials. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. This Improper Authentication vulnerability could allow attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms to gain unauthorized access.
The Events Made Easy plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass due to a missing capability check on several functions related to AJAX actions in 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 Social Warfare plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass due to a missing capability check on several AJAX actions in versions up to, and including, 4.3.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
IBM Robotic Process Automation for Cloud Pak 21.0.1 through 21.0.4 could allow a local user to perform unauthorized actions due to insufficient permission settings. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. This Incorrect Permission Assignment vulnerability could allow attackers to access resources due to misconfigured permissions.
OS Command Injection vulnerability in OKER G955V1 v1.03.02.20161128, allows physical attackers to interrupt the boot sequence and execute arbitrary commands with root privileges. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.8), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the MySQL Cluster product of Oracle MySQL (component: Cluster: Internal Operations). Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.3).
Vulnerability in the Oracle Global Lifecycle Management NextGen OUI Framework product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: NextGen Installer issues). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.3), this vulnerability is low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Data Provider for .NET component of Oracle Database Server. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Visual Analyzer). Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Visual Analyzer). Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox product of Oracle Virtualization (component: Core). Rated low severity (CVSS 3.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Primavera Gateway product of Oracle Construction and Engineering (component: WebUI). Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox product of Oracle Virtualization (component: Core). Rated low severity (CVSS 3.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the MySQL Server product of Oracle MySQL (component: Server: Optimizer). Rated low severity (CVSS 2.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Web Services Manager product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: XML Security component). Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. This XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability could allow attackers to read arbitrary files or perform SSRF through XML processing.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Visual Analyzer). Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Access Manager product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Authentication Engine). Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.4), this vulnerability is low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Collaborative Planning product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Installation). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle HCM Common Architecture product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Auomated Test Suite). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle iSetup product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: General Ledger Update Transform, Reports). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. This Missing Authentication for Critical Function vulnerability could allow attackers to access critical functionality without authentication.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Sales for Handhelds product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Pocket Outlook Sync(PocketPC)). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Sales Offline product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Core Components). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Mobile Field Service product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Synchronization). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Learning Management product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Setup). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Marketing product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Marketing Administration). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Demantra Demand Management product of Oracle Supply Chain (component: E-Business Collections). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Applications DBA product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Java utils). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Web Applications Desktop Integrator product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Download). Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle BI Publisher product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Security). Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools product of Oracle PeopleSoft (component: Panel Processor). Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools product of Oracle PeopleSoft (component: Elastic Search). Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Java SE, Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition product of Oracle Java SE (component: Sound). Rated low severity (CVSS 3.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required.
Vulnerability in the Oracle WebLogic Server product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Web Container). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. This Missing Authentication for Critical Function vulnerability could allow attackers to access critical functionality without authentication.
Vulnerability in the Oracle WebLogic Server product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Core). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. This Improper Authentication vulnerability could allow attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms to gain unauthorized access.
Vulnerability in the Oracle WebLogic Server product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Core). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
Vulnerability in the Oracle WebLogic Server product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Core). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. This Missing Authentication for Critical Function vulnerability could allow attackers to access critical functionality without authentication.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Self-Service Human Resources product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Workflow, Approval, Work Force Management). Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle BI Publisher product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Security). Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise CS Academic Advisement product of Oracle PeopleSoft (component: Advising Notes). Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Java SE, Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition product of Oracle Java SE (component: Serialization). Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Database RDBMS Security component of Oracle Database Server. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Hospitality Reporting and Analytics product of Oracle Food and Beverage Applications (component: Reporting). Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Database Data Redaction component of Oracle Database Server. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Hospitality Reporting and Analytics product of Oracle Food and Beverage Applications (component: Reporting). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.6), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle iSupplier Portal product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Supplier Management). Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Communications BRM - Elastic Charging Engine product of Oracle Communications Applications (component: Customer, Config, Pricing Manager). Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.4), this vulnerability is low attack complexity.
Shopware is an open source commerce platform based on Symfony Framework and Vue js. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
TP-Link SG105PE firmware prior to 'TL-SG105PE(UN) 1.0_1.0.0 Build 20221208' contains an authentication bypass vulnerability. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
m-FILTER prior to Ver.5.70R01 (Ver.5 Series) and m-FILTER prior to Ver.4.87R04 (Ver.4 Series) allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to bypass authentication and send users' unintended email when. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper Authentication in GitHub repository thorsten/phpmyfaq prior to 3.1.10. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Broken Access Control in Betheme theme <= 26.6.1 on WordPress. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
When using Apache Shiro before 1.11.0 together with Spring Boot 2.6+, a specially crafted HTTP request may cause an authentication bypass. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Incorrect Authorization in GitHub repository firefly-iii/firefly-iii prior to 5.8.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
Netdata is an open source option for real-time infrastructure monitoring and troubleshooting. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Izanami is a shared configuration service well-suited for micro-service architecture implementation. 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.
KubeOperator is an open source Kubernetes distribution focused on helping enterprises plan, deploy and operate production-level K8s clusters. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
KubePi is a modern Kubernetes panel. 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.
Deck is a kanban style organization tool aimed at personal planning and project organization for teams integrated with Nextcloud. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
The Mediamatic - Media Library Folders plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass due to a missing capability check on its AJAX actions in versions up to, and including, 2.8.1. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Flarum is a discussion platform for websites. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.5), 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.
Quick Facts
- Typical Severity
- CRITICAL
- Category
- auth
- Total CVEs
- 32821