Stela: Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking
CVE-2026-101287 is a critical-severity reliance on cookies without validation and integrity checking vulnerability in Stela from Diaple, with a CVSS 4.0 base score of 9.3 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected Stela versions: versions prior to 1.60.1. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.4% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Check which version of Stela you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Attack requirements
- NoneThe attack does not depend on a particular deployment or configuration.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of confidentiality on the vulnerable system.
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of integrity on the vulnerable system.
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- NoneNo loss of availability on the vulnerable system.
- Confidentiality (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of confidentiality on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Integrity (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of integrity on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Availability (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of availability on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X. Scored by CNA (incibe.es).
Official description
Authentication bypass vulnerability in Stela, versions prior to 1.60.1, due to the use of a cookie named “authProcess” without validating its integrity. The application stores the user identifier (userId) and the status of the authentication process (validSteps) in this cookie and relies on these values—which can be modified by the client—to complete the login process. A remote attacker, without valid credentials or interaction from other users, could manipulate the cookie to bypass authentication checks and impersonate any account, including one with SUPER_ADMIN privileges. This would allow the attacker to obtain a valid JWT token with administrative privileges and compromise the confidentiality and integrity of the application.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking
The product relies on the existence or values of cookies when performing security-critical operations, but it does not properly ensure that the setting is valid for the associated user.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Avoid using cookie data for a security-related decision.
- Perform thorough input validation (i.e.: server side validation) on the cookie data if you're going to use it for a security related decision.
- Add integrity checks to detect tampering.
More Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking vulnerabilities (CWE-565)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: total).
References
Other references
Recent Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking vulnerabilities
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 8.3 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 8.8 High severity
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