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 (7892)
A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, was found in ZeroWdd studentmanager 1.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, has been found in ZeroWdd studentmanager 1.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in Campcodes Project Management System 1.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
An issue was discovered in Optimizely Configured Commerce before 5.2.2408. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
IBM PowerHA SystemMirror for i 7.4 and 7.5 contains improper restrictions when rendering content via iFrames. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
GoCD is a continuous deliver server. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
The WP Job Portal - A Complete Recruitment System for Company or Job Board website plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Insecure Direct Object Reference in all versions up to, and including, 2.2.4. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Sensitive information disclosure due to missing authentication. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.0), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability classified as critical was found in Beijing Yunfan Internet Technology Yunfan Learning Examination System 1.9.2. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in CridioStudio ListingPro allows Authentication Bypass.9.4. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Sonaar Music MP3 Audio Player for Music, Radio & Podcast by Sonaar allows Accessing Functionality Not Properly Constrained by ACLs.8. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in AyeCode AyeCode Connect allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.3.8. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in supsystic.com Data Tables Generator by Supsystic allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.10.36. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in WP Royal Ashe Extra allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.2.92. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in JS Morisset WPSSO Core allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.18.1. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing Authorization vulnerability in QunatumCloud Floating Action Buttons allows Accessing Functionality Not Properly Constrained by ACLs.9.1. 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 Jakob Bouchard Hestia Nginx Cache allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.4.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A flaw was found in pam_access, where certain rules in its configuration file are mistakenly treated as hostnames. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
A critical authentication bypass vulnerability exists in Red Hat OpenShift AI/OpenShift Data Science that allows attackers to escalate privileges and access multiple AI models within the same namespace using credentials from any single authenticated model. The vulnerability stems from ServiceAccount tokens being exposed in the UI, which can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to other models and APIs in the namespace with elevated view privileges. With an EPSS score of 0.10% and no current KEV listing, the vulnerability has relatively low real-world exploitation activity despite its high CVSS score of 8.8.
A timing side-channel vulnerability has been discovered in the opencryptoki package while processing RSA PKCS#1 v1.5 padded ciphertexts. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required.
Open edX Platform is a service-oriented platform for authoring and delivering online learning. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
Rubygems.org is the Ruby community's gem hosting service. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. This Improper Authentication vulnerability could allow attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms to gain unauthorized access.
Clerk helps developers build user management. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.0), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required.
ELAN Match-on-Chip FPR solution has design fault about potential risk of valid SID leakage and enumeration with spoof sensor. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.0), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An Unsupported Feature in the UI vulnerability in Juniper Networks Junos OS on MX Series and EX9200 Series allows an unauthenticated, network-based attacker to cause partial impact to the integrity. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An Improper Access Control vulnerability in the Juniper Networks Paragon Active Assurance Control Center allows an unauthenticated network-based attacker to access reports without authenticating,. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
A vulnerability classified as critical was found in DeShang DSMall up to 6.1.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability classified as problematic has been found in DeShang DSCMS up to 3.1.2/7.1. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in DeShang DSKMS up to 3.1.2. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in DeShang DSShop up to 3.1.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in DeShang DSMall up to 6.1.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
pimcore/customer-data-framework is the Customer Management Framework for management of customer data within Pimcore. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
The Customer Management Framework (CMF) for Pimcore adds functionality for customer data management, segmentation, personalization and marketing automation. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
ecommerce-framework-bundle is the Pimcore Ecommerce Framework Bundle. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
A vulnerability was found in DeShang DSO2O up to 4.1.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability has been found in Mandelo ssm_shiro_blog 1.0 and classified as problematic. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Windows Server Key Distribution Service Security Feature Bypass. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Microsoft Bluetooth Driver Spoofing Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.7), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. Epss exploitation probability 29.6%.
Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity (HVCI) Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.4), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. This Incorrect Permission Assignment vulnerability could allow attackers to access resources due to misconfigured permissions.
Windows Kerberos Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Epss exploitation probability 16.0%.
BitLocker Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.6), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. Epss exploitation probability 15.7%.
Windows Group Policy Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.0).
Windows HTML Platforms Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required.
NET, .NET Framework, and Visual Studio Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Microsoft.Data.SqlClient and System.Data.SqlClient SQL Data Provider Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required.
SAP S/4HANA Finance for (Advanced Payment Management) - versions SAPSCORE 128, S4CORE 107, does not perform necessary authorization checks. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
SAP LT Replication Server - version S4CORE 103, S4CORE 104, S4CORE 105, S4CORE 106, S4CORE 107, S4CORE 108, does not perform necessary authorization checks. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.3). No vendor patch available.
pyLoad download manager version prior to 0.5.0b3.dev77 exposes the Flask SECRET_KEY through an unauthenticated endpoint. Attackers can extract this key to forge session cookies, impersonate the administrator, and execute arbitrary code through pyLoad's plugin system.
In default installations of Microchip maxView Storage Manager (for Adaptec Smart Storage Controllers) where Redfish server is configured for remote system management, unauthorized access can occur,. Rated critical severity (CVSS 10.0), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in SourceCodester Clinic Queuing System 1.0. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Improper authentication vulnerability in Bluetooth pairing process prior to SMR Jan-2024 Release 1 allows remote attackers to establish pairing process without user interaction. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Product Expiry for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the 'save_settings' function in versions up to, and. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
omniauth-microsoft_graph provides an Omniauth strategy for the Microsoft Graph API. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.6), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
A critical SQL injection vulnerability exists in the Login.php file of Campcodes Online Traffic Offense Management System 1.0, specifically in the password parameter handling. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and manipulate database queries without requiring any privileges or user interaction. A public proof-of-concept exploit is available on GitHub, though the EPSS score of 0.07% (20th percentile) suggests relatively low observed exploitation activity in the wild.
Unraid 6.8.0 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability (CVE-2020-5849, CVSS 7.5, EPSS 93.8%) that allows remote attackers to bypass login protections. Companion to CVE-2020-5847 (RCE), these two vulnerabilities together provide complete unauthenticated access and code execution on affected Unraid NAS systems.
Oracle WebLogic Server allows unauthenticated remote code execution through the WLS Security component's T3 protocol, massively exploited for cryptocurrency mining and botnet recruitment from 2017 onward.
Remote unauthenticated code execution in SAP NetWeaver Application Server Java (pre-7.3) through the Invoker Servlet allows attackers to bypass authentication and execute arbitrary code. Confirmed actively exploited (CISA KEV) from 2013 through 2016 in 'Detour' attacks targeting SAP business applications. CVSS 10.0 with EPSS 16.90% (95th percentile) indicates both maximum theoretical severity and sustained real-world exploitation. This remains a critical priority for organizations running legacy SAP NetWeaver Java instances despite the vulnerability's age.
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Java SE 6u101, 7u85, and 8u60 allows remote attackers to affect integrity via unknown vectors related to Deployment.
Java Runtime Environment sandbox bypass via incorrect image channel verification in 2D component allows remote unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code and escape security restrictions. Affects Oracle JRE 5.0 through Update 45, 6 through Update 45, 7 through Update 21, and OpenJDK 7. Confirmed actively exploited (CISA KEV) with 93.22% EPSS probability and publicly available exploit code. Oracle released patches in June 2013 CPU addressing the vulnerability through image channel verification corrections.
Oracle Java SE 7 Update 6 and earlier contains multiple sandbox bypass vulnerabilities via the ClassFinder and forName methods, enabling complete sandbox escape for untrusted applets. Massively exploited by exploit kits in 2012.
Oracle Java SE JDK/JRE 7 and 6 Update 27 and earlier allows remote code execution with complete system compromise through malicious Java Web Start applications and untrusted applets exploiting the Scripting component. CISA KEV confirms active exploitation in the wild. EPSS score of 92.59% (100th percentile) indicates extremely high probability of mass exploitation. Public exploit code exists, making this a critical priority for any environment running affected Java versions despite the vulnerability's age.
Quick Facts
- Typical Severity
- CRITICAL
- Category
- auth
- Total CVEs
- 7892