OpenHarness: Missing Authorization
CVE-2026-40502 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in OpenHarness from HKUDS, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists version dd1d235450dd987b20bff01b7bfb02fe8620a0af as the first without the flaw, so updating OpenHarness to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 1.72% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 78% of scored CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update OpenHarness to dd1d235450dd987b20bff01b7bfb02fe8620a0af or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| HKUDS | OpenHarness | before dd1d235450dd987b20bff01b7bfb02fe8620a0af | dd1d235450dd987b20bff01b7bfb02fe8620a0af |
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.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (vulncheck.com).
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | 8.7 | High | CNA (vulncheck.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.8 | High | CNA (vulncheck.com) |
Official description
OpenHarness prior to commit dd1d235 contains a command injection vulnerability that allows remote gateway users with chat access to invoke sensitive administrative commands by exploiting insufficient distinction between local-only and remote-safe commands in the gateway handler. Attackers can execute administrative commands such as /permissions full_auto through remote chat sessions to change permission modes of a running OpenHarness instance without operator authorization.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Missing Authorization
The product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Divide the product into anonymous, normal, privileged, and administrative areas. Reduce the attack surface by carefully mapping roles with data and functionality. Use role-based access control (RBAC) to enforce the roles at the appropriate boundaries. Note that this approach may not protect against horizontal authorization, i.e., it will not protect a user from attacking others with the same role.
- Ensure that access control checks are performed related to the business logic. These checks may be different than the access control checks that are applied to more generic resources such as files, connections, processes, memory, and database records. For example, a database may restrict access for medical records to a specific database user, but each record might only be intended to be accessible to the patient and the patient's doctor.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, consider using authorization frameworks such as the JAAS Authorization Framework and the OWASP ESAPI Access Control feature.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Third-party and government advisories
Other vulnerabilities in OpenHarness
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.6 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
Recent Missing Authorization vulnerabilities
- 8.8 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.3 Critical severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
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