CVE-2026-108707 in Wukong_HRM
Summary
by MITRE • 10/11/2026
Wukong_HRM through commit 186115e contains an authentication bypass vulnerability in ParamAspect that allows unauthenticated attackers to call every HRM API endpoint by omitting the AUTH-TOKEN header. Attackers gain HR administrator access to read payslips, salary history and employee personal data, download attachments, and modify or delete company-wide HR records.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/11/2026
The vulnerability identified in Wukong_HRM prior to commit 186115e represents a critical authentication bypass flaw rooted in the improper implementation of security aspects within the application's API layer. Specifically, the ParamAspect component, which is responsible for intercepting incoming requests and validating necessary parameters including authentication tokens, fails to enforce mandatory checks when specific conditions are met or due to logical errors in its execution flow. This architectural weakness allows unauthenticated actors to bypass the intended access control mechanisms entirely by simply omitting the AUTH-TOKEN header from their HTTP requests. Instead of rejecting these malformed requests with a standard unauthorized error response, the application processes them as if they were authenticated, effectively granting the requester full administrative privileges without any form of credential verification.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns closely with CWE-287 Improper Authentication and CWE-306 Missing Authentication for Critical Function. The core issue lies in the failure to validate the presence and integrity of authentication credentials before proceeding with sensitive operations. In many modern web frameworks using aspect-oriented programming or middleware patterns like ParamAspect, developers may inadvertently configure filters that skip validation under certain edge cases or fail to apply them uniformly across all endpoints. When an attacker exploits this by stripping the AUTH-TOKEN header, they exploit the gap between the intended security policy and its actual enforcement logic. This is not a complex cryptographic break but rather a fundamental failure in access control implementation, allowing direct manipulation of backend resources that should be strictly gated behind verified identity assertions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to the high privilege level granted by default when authentication is bypassed. Attackers gain unrestricted HR administrator access, which provides visibility into highly sensitive personal and financial data belonging to all employees within the organization. This includes the ability to read confidential payslips, view detailed salary histories, and access private employee personal information such as addresses, identification numbers, and contact details. Furthermore, the attacker can download any attachments stored in the HR system, potentially exposing proprietary documents or internal communications. Beyond passive data exfiltration, the vulnerability allows for active manipulation of company-wide records, including modifying critical employment data or deleting essential HR records entirely. This level of access compromises not only individual privacy but also organizational integrity and compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR or CCPA.
In terms of threat modeling, this exploitation technique maps directly to MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to Initial Access and Credential Access, specifically leveraging misconfigured authentication mechanisms to gain unauthorized entry into a system. The attacker does not need to steal valid credentials through phishing or brute force; instead, they exploit the application's own logic flaws to impersonate an administrator. This simplifies the attack vector significantly, lowering the barrier for exploitation and increasing the likelihood of successful compromise by automated scanning tools that routinely test for missing authentication headers on API endpoints. The ease with which this vulnerability can be exploited makes it a high-priority target for malicious actors seeking quick access to valuable corporate data or looking to establish persistence within an organization's internal network through compromised HR systems.
To mitigate this vulnerability, immediate remediation efforts must focus on correcting the logic within the ParamAspect component to ensure that authentication validation is mandatory and cannot be bypassed by omitting headers. Developers should implement strict input validation at the API gateway level or framework middleware layer, ensuring that every request intended for protected endpoints includes a valid, non-empty AUTH-TOKEN header before any business logic is executed. It is also recommended to adopt a deny-by-default security posture where all APIs are secured by default and only explicitly whitelisted public endpoints are allowed to skip authentication checks. Additionally, implementing comprehensive logging of failed or missing authentication attempts can aid in detecting ongoing exploitation efforts. Regular code reviews focusing on access control implementations and the use of automated static analysis tools configured to detect CWE-287 patterns will help prevent similar oversights in future development cycles.