Payara Server: Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel
CVE-2026-110003 is a critical-severity authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel vulnerability in Payara Server from Azul Payara, 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. The record lists versions 7.6.0, 7.2026.11, 6.44.0 as the first without the flaw, so updating Payara Server to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.65% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 52% of scored CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Update Payara Server to 7.6.0 or 7.2026.11 or 6.44.0 or 5.93.0, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azul Payara | Payara Server | 7.0.0 up to, but not including, 7.6.0; 7.2024.1.Alpha1 up to, but not including, 7.2026.11; 6.0.0 up to, but not including, 6.44.0; 6.2022.1 through 6.2025.11; 5.20.0 up to, but not including, 5.93.0; 5.181 through 5.201.2; 5.2020.2 through 5.2022.5; 4.1.2.191 up to, but not including, 4.1.2.191.61 | 7.6.0, 7.2026.11, 6.44.0, 5.93.0, 4.1.2.191.61 |
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)
- HighSerious 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:H/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.
Official description
A vulnerability in the administration REST interface of Azul Payara allows a remote, unauthenticated attacker to bypass secure-admin remote-access restrictions by supplying an arbitrary value in the X-GlassFish-authToken HTTP header. The header's presence waives the remote-rejection check before the token is validated, and an invalid token falls through to password-based authentication, which succeeds without credentials on default domains configured with an empty administrative password. Successful exploitation grants execution of arbitrary administrative commands, equivalent to complete compromise of the server.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel
The product requires authentication, but the product has an alternate path or channel that does not require authentication.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Funnel all access through a single choke point to simplify how users can access a resource. For every access, perform a check to determine if the user has permissions to access the resource.
More Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel vulnerabilities (CWE-288)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
References
Patches and release notes
- docs.azul.com/payara-community/release-notes/release-notes-7.2026.11.html
- docs.azul.com/payara/release-notes/release-notes-7.6.0.html
- docs.azul.com/payara/version/4/release-notes/release-notes-4.1.2.191.61.html
- docs.azul.com/payara/version/5/release-notes/release-notes-5.93.0.html
- docs.azul.com/payara/version/6/release-notes/release-notes-6.44.0.html
Other vulnerabilities in Payara Server
- 9.3 Critical severity
Recent Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel vulnerabilities
- 8.7 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.6 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
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