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 (37792)
Synapse is a Matrix protocol homeserver written in Python with the Twisted framework. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. This Improper Authentication vulnerability could allow attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms to gain unauthorized access.
Grafana is an open-source platform for monitoring and observability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Palantir Foundry deployments running Lime2 versions between 2.519.0 and 2.532.0 were vulnerable a bug that allowed authenticated users within a Foundry organization to bypass discretionary or. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A security defect in Foundry's Comments functionality resulted in the retrieval of attachments to comments not being gated by additional authorization checks. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Exposure of Sensitive Information to an unauthorized actor vulnerability in MB Connect Lines mbCONNECT24, mymbCONNECT24 and Helmholz' myREX24 and myREX24.virtual in versions <=2.13.3 allow an. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An Authorization Bypass vulnerability was found in MB Connect Lines mbCONNECT24, mymbCONNECT24 and Helmholz' myREX24 and myREX24.virtual version <= 2.13.3. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Memory Corruption in GPU Subsystem due to arbitrary command execution from GPU in privileged mode. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity.
In email service, there is a missing permission check. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In email service, there is a missing permission check. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In telephony service, there is a missing permission check. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In dialer service, there is a missing permission check. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In Connectivity Service, there is a possible missing permission check. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In Connectivity Service, there is a possible missing permission check. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The WP User Switch plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authentication bypass in versions up to, and including, 1.0.2. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Kanboard is open source project management software that focuses on the Kanban methodology. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
Kanboard is open source project management software that focuses on the Kanban methodology. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
Incorrect Authorization vulnerability in Mobatime mobile application AMXGT100 allows a low-privileged user to impersonate anyone else, including administrators3.20. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Improper Authentication vulnerability in Mobatime mobile application AMXGT100 allows Authentication Bypass.3.20. 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.
A vulnerability classified as critical was found in KylinSoft youker-assistant on KylinOS. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in KylinSoft kylin-software-properties on KylinOS. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
IBM Aspera Connect 4.2.5 and IBM Aspera Cargo 4.2.5 transmits authentication credentials, but it uses an insecure method that is susceptible to unauthorized interception and/or retrieval. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Improper Access Control in GitHub repository nilsteampassnet/teampass prior to 3.0.9. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
The Online Booking & Scheduling Calendar for WordPress by vcita plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the vcita_logout_callback. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
The Online Booking & Scheduling Calendar for WordPress by vcita plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized medication of data via the /wp-json/vcita-wordpress/v1/actions/auth REST-API. 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 VK Blocks plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to improper authorization via the REST 'update_options' function in versions up to, and including, 1.57.0.5. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
The VK Blocks plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to improper authorization via the REST 'update_vk_blocks_options' function in versions up to, and including, 1.57.0.5. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
The Page Builder by AZEXO plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the 'azh_add_post' function 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 User Email Verification for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authentication bypass via authenticate_user_by_email in versions up to, and including, 3.5.0. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required.
A missing delay in popup notifications could have made it possible for an attacker to trick a user into granting permissions. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Android applications with unpatched vulnerabilities can be launched from a browser using Intents, exposing users to these vulnerabilities. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A lack of in app notification for entering fullscreen mode could have lead to a malicious website spoofing browser chrome.<br>*This bug only affects Firefox Focus. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Permission prompts for opening external schemes were only shown for <code>ContentPrincipals</code> resulting in extensions being able to open them without user interaction via. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A duplicate `SystemPrincipal` object could be created when parsing a non-system html document via `DOMParser::ParseFromSafeString`. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
ChuanhuChatGPT is a graphical user interface for ChatGPT and many large language models. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. This Exposure of Sensitive Information vulnerability could allow attackers to access sensitive data that should not be disclosed.
Incorrect Authorization vulnerability in Mobatime web application allows Privilege Escalation, Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.7.22. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
It is identified a vulnerability of insufficient authentication in the system configuration interface of Hitron Technologies CODA-5310. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Wade Graphic Design FANTSY has a vulnerability of insufficient authorization check. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
It is identified a vulnerability of insufficient authentication in an important specific function of Status PowerBPM. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.7), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in Erikoglu Technology ErMon allows Command Line Execution through SQL Injection, Authentication. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Password Field Masking vulnerability in Mitsubishi Electric Corporation EtherNet/IP configuration tools SW1DNN-EIPCT-BD and SW1DNN-EIPCTFX5-BD allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to know. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.2), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Use of Hard-coded Password vulnerability in FTP function on Mitsubishi Electric Corporation MELSEC iQ-R Series EtherNet/IP module RJ71EIP91 and MELSEC iQ-F Series EtherNet/IP module FX5-ENET/IP. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vite provides frontend tooling. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
Kyverno is a policy engine designed for Kubernetes. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
On Splunk Enterprise versions below 9.0.5, 8.2.11, and 8.1.14, and in Splunk Cloud Platform versions below 9.0.2303.100, an unauthorized user can access the {{/services/indexing/preview}} REST. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In Splunk Enterprise versions below 9.0.5, 8.2.11. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
DataEase is an open source data visualization and analysis tool. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
Dell OS Recovery Tool, versions 2.2.4013 and 2.3.7012.0, contain an Improper Access Control Vulnerability. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Insufficient authentication in the MQTT backend (broker) allows an attacker to access and even manipulate the telemetry data of the entire fleet of vehicles using the HopeChart HQT-401 telematics. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Draytek Vigor Routers firmware versions below 3.9.6/4.2.4, Access Points firmware versions below v1.4.0, Switches firmware versions below 2.6.7, and Myvigor firmware versions below 2.3.2 were. 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.
DataSpider Servista version 4.4 and earlier uses a hard-coded cryptographic key. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper access control vulnerability exists in CONPROSYS HMI System (CHS) versions prior to 3.5.3. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in SourceCodester Lost and Found Information System 1.0. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
In JetBrains TeamCity before 2023.05 improper permission checks allowed users without appropriate permissions to edit Build Configuration settings via REST API. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In JetBrains TeamCity before 2023.05 bypass of permission checks allowing to perform admin actions was possible. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Download Center fails to properly validate the file path submitted by a user, An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive files or directories without. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Nested Pages plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized loss of data due to a missing capability check on the 'reset' function in versions up to, and including, 3.2.3. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.8), 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.
The Feather Login Page plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized loss of data due to a missing capability check on the 'deleteUser' function in versions starting from 1.0.7 up to, and. 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 Feather Login Page plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access of data due to a missing capability check on the 'getListOfUsers' function in versions starting from 1.0.7 up to, and. 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 issue was discovered in Faronics Insight 10.0.19045 on Windows. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.4), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
An issue found in BestWeather v.7.3.1 for Android allows unauthorized apps to cause an escalation of privileges attack by manipulating the database. 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.
Inappropriate implementation in Downloads in Google Chrome prior to 114.0.5735.90 allowed an attacker who convinced a user to install a malicious extension to bypass file access restrictions via a. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
ROZCOM client CWE-798: Use of Hard-coded Credentials. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability classified as critical has been found in Abstrium Pydio Cells 4.2.0. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in Abstrium Pydio Cells 4.2.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Kyverno is a policy engine designed for Kubernetes. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Pomerium is an identity and context-aware access proxy. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Calendar app for Nextcloud easily sync events from various devices with your Nextcloud. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
In Moov signedxml through 1.0.0, parsing the raw XML (as received) can result in different output than parsing the canonicalized XML. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
OX App Suite before backend 7.10.6-rev37 does not enforce 2FA for all endpoints, e.g., reading from a drive, reading contact data, and renaming tokens. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. No vendor patch available.
OX App Suite before backend 7.10.6-rev37 allows authenticated users to bypass access controls (for reading contacts) via a move to their own address book. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper Authorization in GitHub repository openemr/openemr prior to 7.0.1. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
Improper Access Control in GitHub repository openemr/openemr prior to 7.0.1. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
Missing Authorization in GitHub repository openemr/openemr prior to 7.0.1. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
Improper Access Control in GitHub repository openemr/openemr prior to 7.0.1. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
CloudExplorer Lite is an open source cloud management tool. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
CloudExplorer Lite is an open source cloud management platform. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Talend Data Catalog remote harvesting server before 8.0-20230413 contains a /upgrade endpoint that allows an unauthenticated WAR file to be deployed on the server. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in libssh, where the authentication check of the connecting client can be bypassed in the`pki_verify_data_signature` function in memory allocation problems. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A lateral privilege escalation vulnerability in XXL-Job v2.4.1 allows users to execute arbitrary commands on another user's account via a crafted POST request to the component /jobinfo/. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
The hwPartsDFR module has a vulnerability in API calling verification. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The SDK for the MediaPlaybackController module has improper permission verification. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The online authentication provided by the hwKitAssistant lacks strict identity verification of applications. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The reminder module lacks an authentication mechanism for broadcasts received. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
user_oidc app is an OpenID Connect user backend for Nextcloud. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
A vulnerability classified as problematic has been found in NFine Rapid Development Platform 20230511. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in NFine Rapid Development Platform 20230511. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in NFine Rapid Development Platform 20230511. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Cilium is a networking, observability, and security solution with an eBPF-based dataplane. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. No vendor patch available.
Iris is a web collaborative platform aiming to help incident responders sharing technical details during investigations. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
IceCMS v1.0.0 has 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.
Quick Facts
- Typical Severity
- CRITICAL
- Category
- auth
- Total CVEs
- 37792