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 (32096)
Authentication bypass in AdForest WordPress theme (all versions through 6.0.12) allows unauthenticated attackers to take over any user account.
Race condition in Apple macOS/iOS symlink handling allows privilege escalation. Fixed in macOS Tahoe 26.3, macOS Sonoma 14.8.4, iOS 18.7.5.
iOS and iPadOS devices with physical access vulnerabilities allow attackers to bypass authorization controls and access sensitive user information on locked devices through improper state management. The flaw affects multiple iOS versions including 18.7.5 and earlier, requiring only physical access to the device with no user interaction or elevated privileges. Apple has issued patches in iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, though updates for earlier versions (iOS 18.7.5 and iPadOS 18.7.5) are also available.
A logic issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.5 and iPadOS 18.7.5, Safari 26.3, macOS Tahoe 26.3. [CVSS 3.3 LOW]
Sensitive information disclosure in Apple iOS and iPadOS results from improper state management in authorization checks, allowing an attacker with physical access to a locked device to view confidential user data. The vulnerability affects multiple iOS and iPadOS versions and currently lacks an available patch. Local privilege or device access is required, making this a risk primarily to users whose devices may be physically compromised.
Sandbox escape vulnerability in Apple's macOS, iOS, tvOS, and related platforms (CVE-2026-20628) permits malicious applications to break out of their sandbox restrictions through a permissions bypass. A local attacker with user interaction can achieve high-impact confidentiality and integrity violations by exploiting this weakness. Patches are available across multiple OS versions including macOS Tahoe 26.3, iOS 18.7.5, tvOS 26.3, and others.
Privilege escalation vulnerability in Apple's macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS allows a malicious application to obtain root-level access through insufficient authorization checks. Local attackers with the ability to install or execute an app can exploit this to gain complete system control. No patch is currently available for this high-severity vulnerability affecting multiple Apple platforms.
Improper input validation in macOS Sequoia, Tahoe, and Sonoma allows local applications to access sensitive user data through an injection attack that requires user interaction. An attacker with a malicious app could exploit this vulnerability to read confidential information on affected systems. No patch is currently available for this medium-severity issue.
Code replay attack on PF-50 keyfob of PGST PG107 Alarm System 1.25.05.hf. Physical security system vulnerable to replay of wireless signals.
An authorization issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.7.4, macOS Sonoma 14.8.4. [CVSS 5.5 MEDIUM]
Frappe Learning Management System versions prior to 2.44.0 contain an information disclosure vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to enumerate enrolled student email addresses from course batches. The flaw stems from improper access controls (CWE-863) that fail to restrict visibility of sensitive enrollment data to authorized users only. An attacker can exploit this over the network without authentication to obtain a complete roster of student contact information.
Vaultwarden versions prior to 1.35.3 allow authenticated organization members to bypass collection-level access controls and retrieve all ciphers within their organization through the /ciphers/organization-details endpoint. An attacker with regular member privileges can access sensitive credentials and encrypted data they should not have permission to view. No patch is currently available for affected deployments.
Vulnerabilities in the File Download and Get File handler components in CIPPlanner CIPAce before 9.17 allow attackers to download unauthorized files. An authenticated user can easily change the file id parameter or pass the physical file path in the URL query string to retrieve the files. [CVSS 7.5 HIGH]
D-Link products using BusyBox are vulnerable to privilege escalation through malicious tar archives containing unvalidated symlink or hardlink entries that extract files outside the intended directory. An attacker with local access can craft a specially crafted archive to modify critical system files when extraction occurs with elevated privileges, potentially gaining unauthorized system access. No patch is currently available for this vulnerability.
Outline is a service that allows for collaborative documentation. [CVSS 5.3 MEDIUM]
login.php contains a vulnerability that allows attackers to access the dashboard without valid credentials (CVSS 6.5).
Cipace versions up to 9.17 contains a vulnerability that allows attackers to bypass a protection mechanism (CVSS 4.3).
Authentication bypass in ZLAN5143D by directly accessing internal URLs. Access controls enforced only at the frontend, bypassed by direct API calls.
Unauthenticated device password change API in industrial/IoT device. Remote attackers can change the device password without any authentication.
The Product Options and Price Calculation Formulas for WooCommerce - Uni CPO (Premium) plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized loss of data due to a missing capability check on the 'uni_cpo_remove_file' function in all versions up to, and including, 4.9.60. [CVSS 5.8 MEDIUM]
Authentication bypass via path traversal in ZBT WE2001 router's check_token function. EPSS 0.69% — crafted requests bypass authentication entirely. CVSS 10.0.
Unauthenticated web shell in METIS DFS devices (versions <= oscore 2.1.234-r18). Same vulnerability as CVE-2026-2248 but on DFS product line.
Unauthenticated web shell in METIS WIC devices (versions <= oscore 2.1.234-r18). The /console endpoint provides shell access without authentication. First of two related METIS CVEs.
Missing authentication for critical functions in Dinosoft ERP. Unauthenticated access to business functionality.
The Invoct PDF Invoices & Billing for WooCommerce plugin through version 1.6 fails to enforce capability checks, allowing authenticated Subscriber-level users to access sensitive data including invoice details, client information, and WordPress user email addresses. This privilege escalation vulnerability affects all WordPress installations using the affected plugin versions and has no available patch.
Saastech Cleaning and Internet Services Inc. TemizlikYolda is affected by authorization bypass through user-controlled key (CVSS 5.4).
The Pix para Woocommerce WordPress plugin through 2.13.3 allows any authenticated user to trigger AJAX actions that reset payment gateway configuration options without capability or nonce checks. [CVSS 6.5 MEDIUM]
Unprivileged users with Event Log Reader privileges can extract proxy server credentials and URLs from PI to CONNECT event logs, potentially enabling unauthorized proxy access. This local information disclosure affects systems where such log access is granted to low-privileged accounts. No patch is currently available.
Insufficient Granularity of Access Control in SEV firmware could allow a privileged user with a malicious hypervisor to create a SEV-ES guest with an ASID in the range meant for SEV-SNP guests potentially resulting in a partial loss of confidentiality.
Insufficient Granularity of Access Control in SEV firmware can allow a privileged attacker to create a SEV-ES Guest to attack SNP guest, potentially resulting in a loss of confidentiality.
Improper access control in AMD Secure Encrypted Virtualization (SEV) firmware could allow a malicious hypervisor to bypass RMP protections, potentially resulting in a loss of SEV-SNP guest memory integrity.
Improper access control in secure encrypted virtualization (SEV) could allow a privileged attacker to write to the reverse map page (RMP) during secure nested paging (SNP) initialization, potentially resulting in a loss of guest memory confidentiality and integrity.
MongoDB's profile command fails to properly validate requests that modify the 'filter' parameter, incorrectly classifying write operations as read-only and bypassing authorization controls. An authenticated attacker could exploit this to modify database filters without proper access restrictions, potentially altering query behavior and data visibility. No patch is currently available.
Microsoft Exchange Server is vulnerable to UI spoofing attacks that allow unauthenticated remote attackers to misrepresent critical information and deceive users. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 6.5 and currently lacks an available patch, leaving affected systems exposed to social engineering and impersonation attacks. Organizations running Exchange Server should implement network-level protections and monitor for suspicious activity until a fix is released.
MSHTML Framework contains a protection mechanism failure (CVE-2026-21513, CVSS 8.8) allowing remote attackers to bypass security features over a network. KEV-listed, this vulnerability in the legacy HTML rendering engine (still used by many Windows applications and email clients) enables execution of malicious content by circumventing the browser's security sandbox and content restrictions.
Guest users on TP-Link Tapo C260 v1 cameras can modify protected device settings by exploiting inadequate access controls on synchronization endpoints. Authenticated attackers with limited privileges can bypass restrictions to change sensitive configuration parameters without authorization. No patch is currently available for this vulnerability.
Kanboard versions up to 1.2.50 is affected by authorization bypass through user-controlled key (CVSS 4.3).
Fortios versions up to 7.6.4 contains a vulnerability that allows attackers to an unauthenticated attacker to bypass LDAP authentication of Agentless VPN or FS (CVSS 8.1).
Ivanti Endpoint Manager before 2024 SU5 contains an authentication bypass (CVE-2026-1603, CVSS 8.6) that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to leak stored credential data. KEV-listed with EPSS 43.9%, this vulnerability exposes credentials stored in the endpoint management platform — potentially including service accounts, deployment credentials, and other secrets used to manage the entire endpoint fleet.
A use of externally-controlled format string vulnerability in Fortinet FortiOS 7.6.0 through 7.6.4, FortiOS 7.4.0 through 7.4.9, FortiOS 7.2.0 through 7.2.11, FortiOS 7.0 all versions allows an authenticated admin to execute unauthorized code or commands via specifically crafted configuration. [CVSS 6.7 MEDIUM]
vulnerability in Fortinet FortiOS 7.6.0 versions up to 7.6.4 contains a vulnerability that allows attackers to an authenticated user with knowledge of FSSO policy configurations to gain unaut (CVSS 4.2).
Dinibh Puzzle Software Solutions Dinibh Patrol Tracking System is affected by authorization bypass through user-controlled key (CVSS 8.8).
Sarman Soft Software and Technology Services Industry and Trade Ltd. Co. CMS contains a security vulnerability (CVSS 8.7).
Authentication bypass in Apache Druid versions 0.17.0 through 35.x. Affects all versions prior to 36.0.0 when specific prerequisites are met.
A vulnerability has been identified in syngo.plaza VB30E (All versions < VB30E_HF07). The affected application does not encrypt the passwords properly. [CVSS 5.3 MEDIUM]
Missing authentication in Flowring Agentflow allows unauthenticated attackers to read, modify, and delete data. Second auth bypass CVE.
Authentication bypass in Flowring Agentflow workflow system allows unauthenticated remote attackers to exploit specific functions. EPSS 0.63%.
An insecure direct object reference allowed a non-admin user to modify or remove certain data objects without having the appropriate permissions. [CVSS 5.7 MEDIUM]
Sap Basis versions up to 700 is affected by improper verification of cryptographic signature (CVSS 8.8).
FUXA SCADA has an authentication spoofing vulnerability from versions 1.2.8 through 1.2.10 — tenth critical vulnerability.
FUXA SCADA has yet another authorization bypass — now the seventh critical FUXA vulnerability discovered, enabling unauthenticated access to industrial controls.
Path normalization bypass in Filebrowser prior to 2.57.1 allows authenticated users to circumvent file access restrictions by injecting multiple slashes into request URLs, enabling unauthorized access to files designated as restricted. The vulnerability exploits a mismatch between the authorization validation logic and filesystem path resolution, affecting users running vulnerable versions. Public exploit code exists for this high-severity issue.
Unauthenticated message injection in PolarLearn 0-PRERELEASE-16 and earlier allows remote attackers to send persistent messages to arbitrary group chats via the WebSocket API without credentials. Public exploit code exists for this vulnerability, which affects all users of vulnerable versions by enabling spam and potential information manipulation within group communications.
PlaciPy has an incorrect authorization allowing privilege escalation — seventh and final critical vulnerability.
PlaciPy has an incorrect authorization vulnerability — fifth of seven critical flaws.
Hollo versions prior to 0.6.20 and 0.7.2 improperly expose direct messages and followers-only posts through the ActivityPub outbox endpoint, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to access sensitive user communications. Public exploit code exists for this authorization bypass vulnerability, enabling attackers to enumerate and retrieve private content intended for restricted audiences. Patched versions 0.6.20 and 0.7.2 are available to remediate the exposure.
Froshadminer versions up to 2.2.1 is affected by missing authentication for critical function (CVSS 5.3).
PlaciPy has another missing authorization vulnerability — fourth of seven critical security flaws.
PlaciPy has a missing authorization vulnerability — third of seven critical security flaws.
PlaciPy placement system 1.0.0 has an improper authorization vulnerability enabling unauthenticated admin access — second of seven critical PlaciPy vulnerabilities.
PlaciPy is a placement management system designed for educational institutions. [CVSS 6.5 MEDIUM]
Litestar versions before 2.20.0 improperly escape regex metacharacters in the allowed_hosts middleware, allowing attackers to bypass hostname validation by supplying hosts that match the compiled regex pattern but differ from intended literal hostnames. Public exploit code exists for this vulnerability. The flaw affects the ASGI framework's ability to properly restrict incoming requests to authorized hosts.
Unauthenticated directory traversal in FileRise prior to version 3.3.0 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files from the /uploads directory without authentication by directly accessing guessable file paths. Public exploit code exists for this vulnerability, enabling attackers to expose sensitive data and breach user privacy. No patch is currently available.
Markus versions up to 2.9.1 is affected by authorization bypass through user-controlled key (CVSS 6.5).
Keycloak's invitation token validation fails to cryptographically verify JWT payload modifications, allowing authenticated attackers to alter organization IDs and email addresses to register into unauthorized organizations. This enables unauthorized access to organizations without proper authentication, affecting any Keycloak deployment using the invitation feature. No patch is currently available.
Insufficient permission validation in OpenProject prior to 17.0.2 allows users with the Manage Users permission to lock and unlock application administrators, a capability that should be restricted to administrators only. An authenticated attacker with user management privileges can exploit this to lock out admin accounts and potentially disrupt system administration capabilities. No patch is currently available for affected versions.
Improper permission enforcement in Checkmk versions 2.4.0 versions up to 2.4.0 is affected by missing authorization.
Birtech Information Technologies Industry and Trade Ltd. Co. Senseway is affected by improper authentication (CVSS 7.3).
JetBrains Hub before 2025.3.119807 has an authentication bypass allowing administrative actions without proper credentials.
Unrestricted file upload in DouPHP versions up to 1.9 allows remote attackers with administrative privileges to bypass upload restrictions via manipulation of the sql_filename parameter in the ZIP File Handler component. Public exploit code exists for this vulnerability, and no patch is currently available.
Authentication Bypass by Alternate Name vulnerability in Apache Shiro. This issue affects Apache Shiro: before 2.0.7. [CVSS 5.3 MEDIUM]
HGiga C&Cm@il email system has a missing authentication vulnerability allowing unauthenticated remote access to email server functions.
A device stores user credentials using AES-ECB encryption with a hard-coded key, allowing any attacker to decrypt all stored passwords.
Insufficient URI validation in CGI endpoints permits unauthenticated attackers to bypass authentication controls through path traversal techniques, enabling direct access to protected administrative functions and configuration files. An attacker can exploit this remotely without credentials to retrieve sensitive data and potentially modify system settings. No patch is currently available for this vulnerability.
Improper server identity validation in Eaton Network M3 firmware upgrade functionality enables man-in-the-middle attacks by network-adjacent threat actors with high privileges. An attacker can intercept and manipulate firmware updates to inject malicious code, compromise system integrity, or disrupt availability. No patch is currently available for this medium-severity issue.
Unrestricted file upload in Online Music Site 1.0's AdminAddAlbum.php allows authenticated administrators with high privileges to upload arbitrary files via the txtimage parameter. Public exploit code exists for this vulnerability, enabling remote attackers to potentially execute malicious code or compromise the application. The affected component impacts both the PHP runtime and the vulnerable web application, with no patch currently available.
Improper authentication in the CRUD endpoint of code-projects Contact Management System 1.0 allows unauthenticated remote attackers to manipulate ID parameters and bypass access controls. This vulnerability enables unauthorized users to read, modify, or delete sensitive contact data without valid credentials. No patch is currently available.
Detronetdip E-commerce 1.0.0 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability in the seller account creation endpoint that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to manipulate the email parameter and gain unauthorized access. The vulnerability affects PHP-based e-commerce installations and has public exploit code available, though no patch is currently available from the vendor.
Unrestricted file upload in detronetdip E-commerce 1.0.0 via the /seller/assets/backend/profile/addadhar.php endpoint allows unauthenticated remote attackers to upload arbitrary files. Public exploit code exists for this vulnerability, and the vendor has not yet released a patch despite early notification.
Unrestricted file upload in Yshopmall up to version 1.9.1 allows authenticated attackers to upload arbitrary files via manipulation of the updateAvatar function in the FileUtil component. Public exploit code exists for this vulnerability, increasing the risk of active exploitation. The vendor has not yet released a patch despite early notification.
Unrestricted file upload in Online Music Site 1.0's AdminUpdateCategory.php allows unauthenticated remote attackers to upload arbitrary files by manipulating the txtimage parameter. Public exploit code exists for this vulnerability, enabling potential remote code execution and system compromise. A security patch is not currently available, leaving affected installations vulnerable to active exploitation.
Wekan versions up to 8.20 contain an authorization bypass in the Rules Handler component that allows authenticated remote attackers to access unauthorized information through the rules.js file. The vulnerability requires valid credentials but no user interaction, enabling low-impact confidentiality breaches. Upgrading to version 8.21 resolves this issue.
Broken authorization in Wekan versions prior to 8.20 lets any authenticated non-administrative user invoke board migration functionality that should be restricted to board administrators. Because permission checks on the migration methods (e.g. comprehensiveBoardMigration.execute) are insufficient, a low-privileged user can trigger unauthorized migration operations that mutate board structure and data. EPSS is very low (0.05%, 15th percentile) and there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis, but a vendor patch and fix commit are available.
Authorization bypass in WeKan (self-hosted kanban board) versions prior to 8.19 lets an authenticated user create public boards even when the instance-wide allowPrivateOnly setting is enabled, because server-side enforcement of the visibility policy is incomplete at board-creation time. The flaw undermines an administrator's expectation that all boards remain private, potentially exposing board content beyond intended audiences. EPSS is low (0.03%, 9th percentile) with no public exploit identified at time of analysis and no CISA KEV listing; a vendor patch is available.
Wekan versions up to 8.19 is affected by authorization bypass through user-controlled key (CVSS 4.3).
Improper authorization in WeKan's card-move API lets an authenticated low-privilege user relocate cards to boards, lists, and swimlanes they do not control, because the destination is trusted without verifying access rights or that the target objects belong to the destination board. All WeKan versions before 8.19 are affected; no public exploit is identified at time of analysis and EPSS is negligible (0.01%), but the fixing commit publicly documents the missing checks, lowering the bar to reproduce.
Privilege escalation via broken authorization in WeKan (the open-source kanban board) before 8.19 lets users holding read-only board roles modify cards, lists, and swimlanes that should require write access. The flaw stems from card/list/swimlane update API routes calling a read-level access check instead of a write-level check, letting a low-privileged but authenticated member tamper with data they should only be able to view. There is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and EPSS is negligible (0.01%), but the fix is confirmed in an upstream commit and the CVSS 4.0 base score is 7.1.
Cross-board data tampering in WeKan (open-source Trello-style kanban board) before version 8.19 lets an authenticated low-privileged user manipulate checklists on cards belonging to boards they should not access. The checklist creation, deletion, and related REST routes accept a cardId without confirming it belongs to the supplied boardId, so an attacker can forge identifiers to add or remove checklists on other users' cards. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, and EPSS is negligible (0.01%), but the vendor fix commit confirms the root cause and a straightforward exploitation path.
Cross-board data tampering in WeKan (the open-source Trello-style kanban board) before version 8.19 lets an authenticated low-privilege user attach checklists to cards on boards they do not own by supplying a mismatched cardId/boardId pair. Because the checklist creation routes never confirm the card actually belongs to the referenced board, any logged-in user can manipulate identifiers to write into other users' boards. No public exploit is identified at time of analysis and EPSS exploitation probability is negligible (0.01%), but the fix is confirmed by an upstream vendor commit.
Improper authorization in the WeKan attachment upload API (versions prior to 8.19) lets an authenticated low-privileged user submit inconsistent object identifiers (boardId, cardId, swimlaneId, listId) that the server fails to cross-validate, allowing attachments to be associated with or moved across card/board relationships the user should not control. The affected component is the self-hosted open-source kanban platform WeKan; the fix (commit 1d16955b) adds server-side checks that a card actually belongs to the named board, swimlane, and list. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, EPSS is negligible (0.01%), and it is not in CISA KEV.
Quick Facts
- Typical Severity
- CRITICAL
- Category
- auth
- Total CVEs
- 32096