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 (37837)
A vulnerability has been disclosed in thinx-device-api IoT Device Management Server before version 2.5.0. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
TeamPass 2.1.27.36 allows an unauthenticated attacker to retrieve files from the TeamPass web root. 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.
The REST API functions in TeamPass 2.1.27.36 allow any user with a valid API token to bypass IP address whitelist restrictions via an X-Forwarded-For client HTTP header to the getIp function. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Faye (NPM, RubyGem) versions greater than 0.5.0 and before 1.0.4, 1.1.3 and 1.2.5, has the potential for authentication bypass in the extension system. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
Online Course Registration 2.0 has multiple SQL injections that would can lead to a complete database compromise and authentication bypass in the login pages: admin/change-password.php,. 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.
An unprotected logging route may allow an attacker to write endless log statements into the database without space limits or authentication. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A file inclusion vulnerability was found in the AJP connector enabled with a default AJP configuration port of 8009 in Undertow version 2.0.29.Final and before and was fixed in 2.0.30.Final. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper authentication vulnerability in Cybozu Garoon 4.0.0 to 4.10.3 allows remote attackers to obtain data in Application Menu. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper authentication vulnerability in Cybozu Garoon 4.0.0 to 4.10.3 allows remote attackers to obtain data in the affected product via the API. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An improper authentication vulnerability in FortiMail 5.4.10, 6.0.7, 6.2.2 and earlier and FortiVoiceEntreprise 6.0.0 and 6.0.1 may allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to access the system as a. 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.
Huawei AR3200 products with versions of V200R007C00SPC900, V200R007C00SPCa00, V200R007C00SPCb00, V200R007C00SPCc00, V200R009C00SPC500 have an improper authentication vulnerability. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
HUAWEI Mate 20 smartphones with versions earlier than 10.0.0.188(C00E74R3P8) have an improper authorization vulnerability. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An issue was discovered where there are multiple externally accessible pages that do not require any sort of authentication, and store system information for internal usage. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
AMD ATI atillk64.sys 5.11.9.0 allows low-privileged users to interact directly with physical memory by calling one of several driver routines that map physical memory into the virtual address space. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
OpenDMARC through 1.3.2 and 1.4.x allows attacks that inject authentication results to provide false information about the domain that originated an e-mail message. 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.
An issue was discovered in Percona XtraDB Cluster before 5.7.28-31.41.2. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
Egypt localized withholding tax reports Clearing of Liabilities and Remittance Statement and Summary in SAP ERP (versions 618, 730, EAPPLGLO 607) and S/4 HANA (versions 100, 101, 102, 103, 104) do. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A unauthorized remote access vulnerability was discovered in HPE IOT + GCP version(s): 1.4.0, 1.4.1, 1.4.2, 1.2.4.2. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A malicious extension could have called <code>browser.identity.launchWebAuthFlow</code>, controlling the redirect_uri, and through the Promise returned, obtain the Auth code and gain access to the. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In BIG-IQ 5.2.0-7.0.0, high availability (HA) synchronization mechanisms do not use any form of authentication for connecting to the peer. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
MinIO versions before RELEASE.2020-04-23T00-58-49Z have an authentication bypass issue in the MinIO admin API. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
An issue was discovered in GitLab CE and EE 8.15 through 12.9.2. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In JetBrains Space through 2020-04-22, the password authentication implementation was insecure. 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 on Tata Sonata Smart SF Rush 1.12 devices. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
A flaw was found in all undertow-2.x.x SP1 versions prior to undertow-2.0.30.SP1, all undertow-1.x.x and undertow-2.x.x versions prior to undertow-2.1.0.Final, where the Servlet container causes. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An issue was discovered in Joomla!. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An issue was discovered in Joomla!. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A remote command execution in Vesta Control Panel through 0.9.8-26 allows any authenticated user to execute arbitrary commands on the system via cron jobs. 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 IQrouter through 3.3.1, remote attackers can control the device (restart network, reboot, upgrade, reset) because of Incorrect Access Control. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In IQrouter through 3.3.1, there is a root user without a password, which allows attackers to gain full remote access via SSH. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In IQrouter through 3.3.1, the Lua function diag_set_password in the web-panel allows remote attackers to change the root password arbitrarily. 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 D-Link DSL-2640B B2 EU_4.01B devices. 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.
An issue was discovered on D-Link DSL-2640B B2 EU_4.01B devices. 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.
An issue was discovered on D-Link DSL-2640B B2 EU_4.01B devices. 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.
An issue was discovered on D-Link DSL-2640B B2 EU_4.01B devices. 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.
Zoho ManageEngine OpManager before 125120 allows an unauthenticated user to retrieve an API key via a servlet call. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Huawei smartphones Taurus-AL00B with versions earlier than 10.0.0.205(C00E201R7P2) have an improper authentication vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Huawei smartphones Honor V20 with versions earlier than 10.0.0.179(C636E3R4P3),versions earlier than 10.0.0.180(C185E3R3P3),versions earlier than 10.0.0.180(C432E10R3P4) have an information. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
An issue was discovered in Sonatype Nexus Repository Manager in versions 3.21.1 and 3.22.0. 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 PrestaShop between versions 1.7.0.0 and 1.7.6.5, there are improper access controls on product page with combinations, attachments and specific prices. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
"In PrestaShop between versions 1.7.0.0 and 1.7.6.5, there is improper access controls on product attributes page. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
In PrestaShop between versions 1.5.5.0 and 1.7.6.5, there is improper access control on customers search. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
In PrestaShop between versions 1.5.0.0 and 1.7.6.5, there are improper access control since the the version 1.5.0.0 for legacy controllers. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
The Jitsi Meet (aka docker-jitsi-meet) stack on Docker before stable-4384-1 uses default passwords (such as passw0rd) for system accounts. 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 on LG mobile devices with Android OS 8.0, 8.1, 9, and 10 software. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Aviatrix OpenVPN client through 2.5.7 on Linux, macOS, and Windows is vulnerable when OpenSSL parameters are altered from the issued value set; the parameters could allow unauthorized third-party. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability exists allowing attackers, when present in the same network segment as ClearPass' management interface, to make changes to certain databases in ClearPass by crafting HTTP packets. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
CA API Developer Portal 4.3.1 and earlier contains an access control flaw that allows privileged users to perform a restricted user administration action. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
CA API Developer Portal 4.3.1 and earlier handles shared secret keys in an insecure manner, which allows attackers to bypass authorization. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Certain NETGEAR devices are affected by authentication bypass. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
IBM QRadar 7.3.0 to 7.3.3 Patch 2 contains hard-coded credentials, such as a password or cryptographic key, which it uses for its own inbound authentication, outbound communication to external. 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 feature bypass vulnerability exists when Windows fails to properly handle token relationships.An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could allow an application with a. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. This Incorrect Authorization vulnerability could allow attackers to bypass authorization checks to access restricted resources.
An authentication bypass vulnerability exists in Microsoft YourPhoneCompanion application for Android, in the way the application processes notifications generated by work profiles.This could allow. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.6), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Financial Services Data Foundation product of Oracle Financial Services Applications (component: User Interface). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Human Resources product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Hierarchy Diagrammers). Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS product of Oracle PeopleSoft (component: Candidate Gateway). Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle HTTP Server product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Web Listener). Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Coherence product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Caching, CacheStore, Invocation). Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Absence Management product of Oracle PeopleSoft (component: Absence Management). Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Application Performance Management product of Oracle Enterprise Manager (component: EM Request Monitoring). Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.0), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Financial Services Deposit Insurance Calculations for Liquidity Risk Management product of Oracle Financial Services Applications (component: User Interfaces). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Financial Services Liquidity Risk Measurement and Management product of Oracle Financial Services Applications (component: User Interface). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Financial Services Price Creation and Discovery product of Oracle Financial Services Applications (component: User Interface). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Financial Services Funds Transfer Pricing product of Oracle Financial Services Applications (component: User Interface). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Financial Services Profitability Management product of Oracle Financial Services Applications (component: User Interface). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Financial Services Asset Liability Management product of Oracle Financial Services Applications (component: User Interface). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Financial Services Loan Loss Forecasting and Provisioning product of Oracle Financial Services Applications (component: User Interface). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Insurance Accounting Analyzer product of Oracle Financial Services Applications (component: User Interface). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Financial Services Balance Sheet Planning product of Oracle Financial Services Applications (component: User Interface). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Financial Services Hedge Management and IFRS Valuations product of Oracle Financial Services Applications (component: User Interface). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Vulnerability in the MySQL Client product of Oracle MySQL (component: C API). Rated low severity (CVSS 3.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Agile PLM product of Oracle Supply Chain (component: Security). Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise CS Campus Community product of Oracle PeopleSoft (component: Self-Service). Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.0), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox product of Oracle Virtualization (component: Core). Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise SCM Purchasing product of Oracle PeopleSoft (component: Supplier Change). Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition product of Oracle GraalVM (component: Tools). Rated low severity (CVSS 3.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise SCM Purchasing product of Oracle PeopleSoft (component: Purchasing). Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Financial Services Liquidity Risk Management product of Oracle Financial Services Applications (component: User Interfaces). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Applications Framework product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Diagnostics). Rated high severity (CVSS 8.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the Oracle CRM Technical Foundation product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Preferences). Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Marketing product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Partners). Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Customer Interaction History product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Outcome-Result). Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the Oracle CRM Technical Foundation product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Preferences). Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Document Management and Collaboration product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Attachments). Rated high severity (CVSS 8.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Human Resources product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Hierarchy Diagrammers). Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the Oracle CRM Technical Foundation product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Preferences). Rated high severity (CVSS 8.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Learning Management product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: OTA Training Activities). Rated high severity (CVSS 8.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Scripting product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Miscellaneous). Rated high severity (CVSS 8.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the Oracle iSupport product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Mail). Rated high severity (CVSS 8.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in the Oracle Partner Management product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Attribute Admin Setup). Rated high severity (CVSS 8.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Quick Facts
- Typical Severity
- CRITICAL
- Category
- auth
- Total CVEs
- 37837