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 (7761)
This issue was addressed by removing the vulnerable code. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A logic issue was addressed with improved checks. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. 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.
A file quarantine bypass was addressed with additional checks. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A logic issue was addressed with improved checks. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The issue was addressed with improved authentication. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.8), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A logic 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 checks. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
This issue was addressed through improved state management. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The issue was addressed by adding additional logic. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.3), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
This issue was addressed with additional entitlement checks. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The issue was addressed with improved checks. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
This issue was addressed by restricting options offered on a locked device. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper authentication handling was identified in a set of HTTP POST requests affecting the following product families: * Digi PortServer TS - prior to and including 82000747_AA, build date. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.4), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
SEL BIOS packages prior to 1.3.49152.117 or 2.6.49152.98 allow a local attacker to bypass password authentication and change password-protected BIOS settings by importing a BIOS settings file with no. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.4), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An authenticated user without user-management permissions could view other users account information. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An authenticated administrator could modify the Created By username for a user account. Rated low severity (CVSS 2.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An issue was discovered in Znuny before 7.1.4. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Radware Cloud Web Application Firewall (WAF) before 2025-05-07 allows remote attackers to bypass firewall filters by adding a special character to the request. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Radware Cloud Web Application Firewall (WAF) before 2025-05-07 allows remote attackers to bypass firewall filters by placing random data in the HTTP request body when using the HTTP GET method. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The ISOinsight from Netvision has a Missing Authentication vulnerability, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to access certain system functions. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The specific APIs of Parking Management System from ZONG YU has a Missing Authentication vulnerability, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to access specific APIs and operate system functions. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The web management interface of Okcat Parking Management Platform from ZONG YU has a Missing Authentication vulnerability, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to directly access system. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in kkFileView 4.4.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The SMS Alert Order Notifications - WooCommerce plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation due to insufficient user OTP validation in the handleWpLoginCreateUserAction() function in. 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.
A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, was found in JAdmin-JAVA JAdmin 1.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
An issue has been discovered in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions starting from 17.3 prior to 17.9.8, from 17.10 prior to 17.10.6, and from 17.11 prior to 17.11.2. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Incorrect access control in Victure RX1800 EN_V1.0.0_r12_110933 allows attackers to enable SSH and Telnet services without authentication. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
An issue in Victure RX1800 EN_V1.0.0_r12_110933 allows physically proximate attackers to execute arbitrary code or gain root access. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.8), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
A flaw was found in systems utilizing LUKS-encrypted disks with GRUB configured for TPM-based auto-decryption. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.9), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Website Builder by SeedProd - Theme Builder, Landing Page Builder, Coming Soon Page, Maintenance Mode plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access of data due to a missing capability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in SourceCodester Online Student Clearance System 1.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
The Frontend Login and Registration Blocks plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation via account takeover in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.7. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and EPSS exploitation probability 12.7%.
"This issue is limited to motherboards and does not affect laptops, desktop computers, or other endpoints." An insufficient validation in ASUS DriverHub may allow unauthorized sources to interact. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The WPBookit plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation via account takeover in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.2. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
The WPBookit plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation via account takeover in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.2. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Improper access control in Azure allows an unauthorized attacker to disclose information over a network. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper authorization in Azure Automation allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Authentication bypass by assumed-immutable data in Azure DevOps allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network. Rated critical severity (CVSS 10.0), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Dell Wyse Management Suite, versions prior to WMS 5.1 contain an Authentication Bypass by Spoofing vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
On affected versions of the CloudVision Portal, improper access controls could enable a malicious authenticated user to take broader actions on managed EOS devices than intended. Rated critical severity (CVSS 10.0), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An issue was discovered in Znuny through 7.1.3. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The TeleMessage archiving backend through 2025-05-05 accepts API calls (to request an authentication token) from the TM SGNL (aka Archive Signal) app with the credentials of logfile for the user and. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
Improper Authentication vulnerability in Danfoss AKSM8xxA Series.2. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
Endpoint /cgi-bin-igd/netcore_set.cgi which is used for changing device configuration is accessible without authentication. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.7), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
WF2220 exposes endpoint /cgi-bin-igd/netcore_get.cgi that returns configuration of the device to unauthorized users. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.7), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Envoy is a cloud-native edge/middle/service proxy. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
On F5OS, an improper authorization vulnerability exists where remotely authenticated users (LDAP, RADIUS, TACACS+) may be authorized with higher privilege F5OS roles. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
When running in Appliance mode, an authenticated attacker assigned the Administrator or Resource Administrator role may be able to bypass Appliance mode restrictions utilizing system diagnostics. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.3), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
On an F5OS system, if the root user had previously configured the system to allow login via SSH key-based authentication, and then enabled Appliance Mode; access via SSH key-based authentication is. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
An admin user can gain unauthorized write access to the /etc/rc.local file on the device, which is executed on a system boot. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Incorrect Authorization vulnerability in OpenText™ Operations Bridge Manager. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Incorrect Authorization vulnerability in OpenText™ Operations Bridge Manager. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.7), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
WeGIA is a web manager for charitable institutions. Rated critical severity (CVSS 10.0), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
A vulnerability in Cisco Catalyst Center, formerly Cisco DNA Center, could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to read and modify data in a repository that belongs to an internal service of an. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability in the Network Configuration Access Control Module (NACM) of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to obtain unauthorized read access to configuration or. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability in the management API of Cisco Catalyst Center, formerly Cisco DNA Center, could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to read and modify the outgoing proxy configuration. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability in the lobby ambassador web interface of Cisco IOS XE Wireless Controller Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to remove arbitrary users that are defined on an. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability in the Out-of-Band Access Point (AP) Image Download, the Clean Air Spectral Recording, and the client debug bundles features of Cisco IOS XE Software for Wireless LAN Controllers. Rated critical severity (CVSS 10.0), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
A vulnerability in the Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switch Device Manager (DM) of Cisco IOS Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to elevate privileges. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability in the implementation of the Simple Network Management Protocol Version 3 (SNMPv3) feature of Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, remote. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability in the access control list (ACL) programming of Cisco IOS Software that is running on Cisco Catalyst 1000 Switches and Cisco Catalyst 2960L Switches could allow an unauthenticated,. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.7), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in contentstudio ContentStudio allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.3.3. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Saad Iqbal Advanced File Manager allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.3.1. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in quomodosoft QS Dark Mode allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in flowdee ClickWhale allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.4.6. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in ammarahmad786 Calculate Prices based on Distance For WooCommerce allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.3.5. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in CreedAlly Bulk Featured Image allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.2.1. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in pewilliams Ovation Elements allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.1.2. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in GS Plugins GS Variation Swatches for WooCommerce allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.0.4. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in CyberChimps Gutenberg & Elementor Templates Importer For Responsive allows Accessing Functionality Not Properly Constrained by ACLs.1.9. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in CozyThemes Cozy Blocks allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.1.22. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Iqonic Design Graphina allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.0.4. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in codepeople Music Player for WooCommerce allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.5.1. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in EnvoThemes Envo Extra allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.9.9. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in slui Media Hygiene allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.0.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in GS Plugins GS Testimonial Slider allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.3.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in CreativeThemes Blocksy allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.0.97. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in dgamoni LocateAndFilter allows Accessing Functionality Not Properly Constrained by ACLs.6.16. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Mitchell Bennis Simple File List allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.1.13. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Booking logic flaw in Easy!Appointments v1.5.1 allows unauthenticated attackers to create appointments with excessively long durations, causing a denial of service by blocking all future booking. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
The Frontend Dashboard plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation due to a missing capability check on the fed_wp_ajax_fed_login_form_post() function in versions 1.0 to 2.2.6. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper handling of insufficient permission in PackageInstallerCN prior to version 15.0.11.0 allows local attacker to bypass user interaction for requested installation. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.1), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper authentication in Secure Folder prior to version 1.8.12.0 in Android 13, and 1.9.21.00 in Android 14 allows physical attackers to reset the lock type of Secure Folder. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Login Lockdown & Protection plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized nonce access due to a missing capability check on the ajax_run_tool function in all versions up to, and including,. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The PeproDev Ultimate Profile Solutions plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access of data via its publicly exposed reset-password endpoint. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The PeproDev Ultimate Profile Solutions plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the handel_ajax_req() function in versions 1.9.1. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The WPshop 2 - E-Commerce plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Insecure Direct Object Reference in versions 2.0.0 to 2.6.0 via the callback_generate_api_key() due to missing validation on a user. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The PeproDev Ultimate Profile Solutions plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authentication Bypass in versions 1.9.1 to 7.5.2. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Search Exclude plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the get_rest_permission function in all versions up to, and including,. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Quick Facts
- Typical Severity
- CRITICAL
- Category
- auth
- Total CVEs
- 7761