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 (37810)
An issue in code signature validation was addressed with improved checks. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
This issue was addressed with improved checks. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.6), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A logic issue was addressed with improved state management. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
A logic issue was addressed with improved state management. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
This issue was addressed with improved entitlements. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An issue in code signature validation was addressed with improved checks. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A logic issue was addressed with improved validation. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A logic issue was addressed with improved state management. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An input validation issue was addressed with improved input validation. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
This issue was addressed with improved data protection. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A logic issue was addressed with improved restrictions. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Nextcloud server is an open source, self hosted personal cloud. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. This Missing Authentication for Critical Function vulnerability could allow attackers to access critical functionality without authentication.
Nextcloud Richdocuments is an open source collaborative office suite. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Deck is an open source kanban style organization tool aimed at personal planning and project organization for teams integrated with Nextcloud. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Nextcloud Circles is an open source social network built for the nextcloud ecosystem. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Session fixation on password protected public links in the ownCloud Server before 10.8.0 allows an attacker to bypass the password protection when they can force a target client to use a controlled. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
pcapture is an open source dumpcap web service interface . Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. This Improper Authentication vulnerability could allow attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms to gain unauthorized access.
The shareinfo controller in the ownCloud Server before 10.8.0 allows an attacker to bypass the permission checks for upload only shares and list metadata about the share. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
HashiCorp Consul and Consul Enterprise 1.10.1 Txn.Apply endpoint allowed services to register proxies for other services, enabling access to service traffic. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An issue was discovered in CommentsService.ashx in OnyakTech Comments Pro 3.8. 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.
A security issue was discovered in kube-apiserver that could allow node updates to bypass a Validating Admission Webhook. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Chromium: CVE-2021-30621 UI Spoofing in Autofill. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Chromium: CVE-2021-30619 UI Spoofing in Autofill. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Chromium: CVE-2021-30617 Policy bypass in Blink. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
A Hardcoded JWT Secret Key in metadata.py in AdaptiveScale LXDUI through 2.1.3 allows attackers to gain admin access to the host system. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory vulnerability exists in Harmony/HMI Products Configured by Vijeo Designer (all versions prior to V6.2 SP11 ), Vijeo Designer. 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 TACACS+ authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) feature of Cisco Enterprise NFV Infrastructure Software (NFVIS) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to. 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 vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco Prime Infrastructure and Cisco Evolved Programmable Network (EPN) Manager could allow an authenticated, local attacker to access sensitive information stored on. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Affected versions of Atlassian Jira Server and Data Center allow users who have watched an issue to continue receiving updates on the issue even after their Jira account is revoked, via a Broken. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
This affects the package mpath before 0.8.4. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
An issue was discovered on Compro IP70 2.08_7130218, IP570 2.08_7130520, IP60, and TN540 devices. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An issue was discovered on Compro IP70 2.08_7130218, IP570 2.08_7130520, IP60, and TN540 devices. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
This affects the package immer before 9.0.6. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
webctrl.cgi.elf on Christie Digital DWU850-GS V06.46 devices allows attackers to perform any desired action via a crafted query containing an unspecified Cookie header. 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.
Magento Commerce versions 2.4.2 (and earlier), 2.4.2-p1 (and earlier) and 2.3.7 (and earlier) are affected by an improper input validation vulnerability via the `quoteId` parameter. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. This Incorrect Authorization vulnerability could allow attackers to bypass authorization checks to access restricted resources.
Magento Commerce versions 2.4.2 (and earlier), 2.4.2-p1 (and earlier) and 2.3.7 (and earlier) are affected by an improper improper authorization vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Magento Commerce versions 2.4.2 (and earlier), 2.4.2-p1 (and earlier) and 2.3.7 (and earlier) are affected by an improper improper authorization vulnerability. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
OpenEMR 6.0.0 has a pnotes_print.php?noteid= Insecure Direct Object Reference vulnerability via which an attacker can read the messages of all users. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Samsung Drive Manager 2.0.104 on Samsung H3 devices allows attackers to bypass intended access controls on disk management. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
An issue was discovered in Ivanti Workspace Control before 10.6.30.0. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
VMware Workspace ONE Access and Identity Manager, allow the /cfg web app and diagnostic endpoints, on port 8443, to be accessed via port 443 using a custom host header. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), 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.
Use of a hard-coded cryptographic key in MIK.starlight 7.9.5.24363 allows local users to decrypt credentials via unspecified vectors. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper Authorization in multiple functions in MIK.starlight 7.9.5.24363 allows an authenticated attacker to escalate privileges. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
HashiCorp Vault Enterprise 0.9.2 through 1.6.2 allowed the read of license metadata from DR secondaries without authentication. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability found in UniFi Protect application V1.18.1 and earlier permits a malicious actor who has already gained access to a network to subsequently control the Protect camera(s) assigned to. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.6), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An Improper Access Control Privilege Escalation Vulnerability was discovered in the User Setting of Orion Platform version 2020.2.5. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper Access Control Tampering Vulnerability using ImportAlert function which can lead to a Remote Code Execution (RCE) from the Alerts Settings page. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
This vulnerability allows an attacker who has access to the WBM to read and write settings-parameters of the device by sending specifically constructed requests without authentication on multiple. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
In PEPPERL+FUCHS WirelessHART-Gateway 3.0.7 to 3.0.9 the SSH and telnet services are active with hard-coded credentials. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In PEPPERL+FUCHS WirelessHART-Gateway <= 3.0.8 serious issue exists, if the application is not externally accessible or uses IP-based access restrictions. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Geyser is a bridge between Minecraft: Bedrock Edition and Minecraft: Java Edition. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), 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.
In Eclipse Mosquitto versions 2.0 to 2.0.11, when using the dynamic security plugin, if the ability for a client to make subscriptions on a topic is revoked when a durable client is offline, then. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Zoho ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus 6103 and prior is vulnerable to admin portal access-restriction bypass. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Zoho ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus version 6103 and prior allows CAPTCHA bypass due to improper parameter validation. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An issue was discovered in Midnight Commander through 4.8.26. 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.
Versions up to, and including, 5.4.3, of the Booster for WooCommerce WordPress plugin are vulnerable to authentication bypass via the process_email_verification function due to a random token. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
A vulnerability in versions 10.1 through 10.5 of Johnson Controls CEM Systems AC2000 allows a remote attacker to access to the system without adequate authorization. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The vRealize Operations Manager API (8.x prior to 8.5) contains a broken access control vulnerability leading to unauthenticated API access. 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.
The vRealize Operations Manager API (8.x prior to 8.5) has insecure object reference vulnerability. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
IBM Sterling Secure Proxy 6.0.1, 6.0.2, 2.4.3.2, and 3.4.3.2 contains hard-coded credentials, such as a password or cryptographic key, which it uses for its own inbound authentication, outbound. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. This Use of Hard-coded Credentials vulnerability could allow attackers to gain access using credentials embedded in source code.
IOMMU page mapping issues on x86 T[his CNA information record relates to multiple CVEs; the text explains which aspects/vulnerabilities correspond to which CVE.] Both AMD and Intel allow ACPI tables. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.8), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
This affects the package object-path before 0.11.6. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.6), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
octobercms in a CMS platform based on the Laravel PHP Framework. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. This Improper Authentication vulnerability could allow attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms to gain unauthorized access.
Access Restriction Bypass via referrer spoof was discovered in SolarWinds Web Help Desk 12.7.2. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
ForgeRock Access Management (AM) before 7.0.2, when configured with Active Directory as the Identity Store, has an authentication-bypass issue. 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 EtherChannel port subscription logic of Cisco Nexus 9500 Series Switches could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass access control list (ACL) rules that are. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
A vulnerability in the fabric infrastructure file system access control of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Fabric Switches in Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) mode could allow an authenticated, local. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.4), this vulnerability is low attack complexity.
Multiple vulnerabilities in the web UI and API endpoints of Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) or Cisco Cloud APIC could allow a remote attacker to perform a command injection. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Multiple vulnerabilities in the web UI and API endpoints of Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) or Cisco Cloud APIC could allow a remote attacker to perform a command injection. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
A vulnerability in an API endpoint of Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) and Cisco Cloud Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (Cloud APIC) could allow an. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper authorization in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions since 12.6 allowed guest users to create issues for Sentry errors and track their status. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper authorization in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions since 13.0 allows guests in private projects to view CI/CD analytics. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Under specialized conditions, GitLab CE/EE versions starting 7.10 may allow existing GitLab users to use an invite URL meant for another email address to gain access into a group. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Due to improper handling of OAuth client IDs, new subscriptions generated OAuth tokens on an incorrect OAuth client application. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A Missing Authentication for Critical Function vulnerability in B. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.6), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An issue was discovered in PrimeKey EJBCA before 7.6.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Istio is an open source platform for providing a uniform way to integrate microservices, manage traffic flow across microservices, enforce policies and aggregate telemetry data. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Envoy is an open source L7 proxy and communication bus designed for large modern service oriented architectures. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A logic issue was addressed with improved validation. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An access issue was addressed with improved access restrictions. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A logic issue was addressed with improved state management. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
This issue was addressed by disabling execution of JavaScript when viewing a scripting dictionary. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.6), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
This issue was addressed with improved checks. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A logic issue was addressed with improved state management. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A validation issue related to hard link behavior was addressed with improved sandbox restrictions. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An inherited permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A logic issue was addressed with improved state management. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A logic issue was addressed with improved restrictions. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The issue was addressed with improved permissions logic. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An authorization issue was addressed with improved state management. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Quick Facts
- Typical Severity
- CRITICAL
- Category
- auth
- Total CVEs
- 37810