ash_authentication: Improper Authentication
CVE-2026-88952 is a critical-severity improper authentication vulnerability in ash_authentication from Team-alembic, with a CVSS 4.0 base score of 9.1 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 4.15.0, 5.0.0-rc.14 as the first without the flaw, so updating ash_authentication to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.75% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 55% of scored CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Update ash_authentication to 4.15.0 or 5.0.0-rc.14, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team-alembic | ash_authentication | 4.14.0 up to, but not including, 4.15.0; 5.0.0-rc.10 up to, but not including, 5.0.0-rc.14; 64530644f9b37ebb76ca14aeb83a77597a0034b7 and later; 42edcd8ebb13fafbb168f12591d7518ce0611fec and later | 4.15.0, 5.0.0-rc.14 |
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
- PresentThe target must be in a specific state or configuration for the attack to work.
- 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:P/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.
Official description
Improper Authentication vulnerability in team-alembic AshAuthentication allows an attacker to be signed in as another user by linking an OAuth2 identity to an account that is not theirs. AshAuthentication.Strategy.OAuth2.UserResolver.resolve/3 matches an existing account using the register action's upsert_identity keys, then gates linking the incoming provider identity to it on email_trusted?/2, which reads only the provider's email_verified boolean and never compares the provider's email value with the matched account's email. That gate assumes the account was matched by its email field, so under any other upsert_identity it is vacuous and an attacker presenting their own verified email is attached to, and issued a session for, an account matched on some other attribute. The same unguarded gate applies in OAuth2.SignInPreparation on the registration_enabled? false path, where the account is matched by the sign-in action's read filter instead. The upsert also rewrites the matched account's email to the attacker's address, so later account recovery reaches the attacker rather than the owner. This issue affects ash_authentication: from 4.14.0 before 4.15.0 and from 5.0.0-rc.10 before 5.0.0-rc.14.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Authentication
When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use an authentication framework or library such as the OWASP ESAPI Authentication 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
- github.com/team-alembic/ash_authentication/commit/2bd630eef8b7c8ae1e90e8fd43ba12fbc7e256ba
- github.com/team-alembic/ash_authentication/commit/42edcd8ebb13fafbb168f12591d7518ce0611fec
- github.com/team-alembic/ash_authentication/commit/64530644f9b37ebb76ca14aeb83a77597a0034b7
- github.com/team-alembic/ash_authentication/commit/738bf9f32f2aa0d1bb92ce9ca5c2476cb5710459
Other vulnerabilities in ash_authentication
- 7.6 High severity
- 7.4 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
Recent Improper Authentication vulnerabilities
- 7.1 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 7.6 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 7.6 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
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