ManageEngine Applications Manager: Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality
CVE-2026-86681 is a high-severity missing authentication for critical functionality vulnerability in ManageEngine Applications Manager from Zoho, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.6 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 182300 as the first without the flaw, so updating ManageEngine Applications Manager to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 1.15% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 67% of scored CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update ManageEngine Applications Manager to 182300 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho | ManageEngine Applications Manager | before 182300 | 182300 |
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
- LowSome restricted data can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- LowPerformance or availability is reduced.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L. Scored by CNA.
Official description
ZohoCorp ManageEngine Applications Manager versions 182200 and below were vulnerable to a permissions validation issue that allowed low-privileged users to execute administrator-configured MBean actions on monitors outside their assigned scope.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality
The product does not perform any authentication for functionality that requires a provable user identity or consumes a significant amount of resources.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
- 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 libraries with authentication capabilities such as OpenSSL or the ESAPI Authenticator.
- When storing data in the cloud (e.g., S3 buckets, Azure blobs, Google Cloud Storage, etc.), use the provider's controls to require strong authentication for users who should be allowed to access the data.
More Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality vulnerabilities (CWE-306)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
References
Other references
Other vulnerabilities in ManageEngine Applications Manager
- 10.0 Critical severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.2 High severity
Recent Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality vulnerabilities
- 7.3 High severity
- 7.4 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
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