CVE-2026-102140 in Kiteworks
Summary
by MITRE • 10/01/2026
An authenticated administrator could initiate an administrative import using a file whose contents were not fully verified, because the import validated only the file's header rather than the complete file. This could allow unverified or forged content to be accepted and processed, affecting the integrity of the imported data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/01/2026
The vulnerability described represents a critical failure in input validation mechanisms within an administrative interface, specifically during the process of importing configuration files or data sets. An authenticated administrator possesses elevated privileges that typically allow for significant changes to system state, but this trust is undermined by insufficient verification procedures applied to uploaded artifacts. The core technical flaw lies in the selective parsing logic employed by the application, which validates only the header section of an imported file while neglecting to inspect the remainder of its contents. This partial validation approach creates a security gap where malicious actors can bypass integrity checks by crafting files that conform to expected header structures but contain arbitrary or harmful payloads in subsequent sections.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-20 Improper Input Validation and more specifically CWE-1384 Unsafe Import of Functionality when the imported content dictates system behavior. The application assumes that because the file format signature is correct, the entire document is trustworthy. This assumption ignores the possibility of structural manipulation or injection attacks within the body of the file. For instance, if the import process parses XML, JSON, or proprietary binary formats without validating every node or record against a strict schema, an attacker can inject malicious commands, cross-site scripting payloads, or logic bombs that execute upon processing. The lack of comprehensive validation means the system fails to enforce data integrity constraints on the full scope of user-supplied input, violating fundamental principles of secure software design such as least privilege and defense in depth.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to the authentication requirement being satisfied by an administrator account. While external attackers cannot directly exploit this flaw without valid credentials, it poses a significant risk from insider threats or compromised administrative accounts. If an attacker gains access to an admin session through phishing, credential stuffing, or other means, they can upload a crafted file that appears legitimate based on its header but executes destructive actions upon import. This could lead to data corruption, privilege escalation if the imported configuration alters security settings, remote code execution depending on how the system processes the unverified content, or denial of service through malformed structures that crash parsing engines. The integrity of the entire administrative dataset is compromised because there is no mechanism to ensure that what was uploaded matches what was intended by a legitimate administrator.
Mitigation strategies must focus on implementing rigorous input validation and secure coding practices. Developers should enforce strict schema validation for all imported files, ensuring that every element within the file structure conforms to expected types, ranges, and formats rather than just checking initial headers. Implementing allow-lists for permitted characters and structures can prevent injection attacks. Additionally, employing cryptographic verification such as digital signatures or checksums like SHA-256 hashes would ensure data integrity from source to destination. The system should also implement rate limiting on import operations and log all administrative imports with detailed audit trails including file hash values and user identities to facilitate forensic analysis in case of an incident. Regular security code reviews focusing on deserialization and parsing logic are essential to identify similar vulnerabilities across the application surface area.