CVE-2026-19271 in Liderahenk
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2026
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an LDAP Query ('LDAP Injection') vulnerability in TÜBİTAK BİLGEM Software Technologies Research Institute Liderahenk allows LDAP Injection.
This issue affects Liderahenk: from 3.4.0 before 3.5.5.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2026
The identified security flaw represents a classic instance of improper neutralization of special elements used in an Lightweight Directory Access Protocol query, commonly referred to as LDAP injection. This vulnerability exists within the software solution Liderahenk, developed by TÜBİTAK BİLGEM Software Technologies Research Institute, specifically affecting versions ranging from 3.4.0 up to but not including version 3.5.5. The core technical deficiency lies in the application's failure to properly sanitize or validate user-supplied input before incorporating it into LDAP search filters. In a secure implementation, any characters that hold special meaning within the LDAP query syntax must be escaped or removed to prevent them from altering the logical structure of the intended query. When this sanitization process is omitted or implemented incorrectly, an attacker can inject malicious LDAP filter components directly into the input fields processed by the application.
From a technical perspective, LDAP queries rely on specific characters such as parentheses, asterisks, and null bytes to define search criteria and operators like equality, substring matching, and logical conjunctions. If user input is concatenated directly into these query strings without adequate encoding or escaping, an attacker can manipulate the filter's logic. For example, by injecting a closing parenthesis followed by additional conditions, an adversary might bypass authentication checks, retrieve sensitive directory entries that should remain restricted, or even modify data if write operations are exposed through similar injection vectors. This type of vulnerability is fundamentally rooted in a lack of input validation and output encoding mechanisms, which are critical defenses against command injection attacks across various protocols including SQL, XML, and LDAP.
The operational impact of this vulnerability can be severe depending on the configuration of the underlying directory service and the privileges associated with the application's account. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to user accounts by bypassing authentication logic, allowing an attacker to impersonate legitimate users or administrators. Furthermore, it may enable information disclosure where sensitive attributes stored in the LDAP directory, such as email addresses, phone numbers, security questions, or internal network identifiers, are exposed to unauthenticated parties. In more complex scenarios involving write-enabled endpoints, there is a risk of data integrity compromise through unauthorized modifications to user profiles or group memberships. The severity escalates if the application performs administrative functions using elevated credentials that lack proper separation of duties.
This vulnerability aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration identifier CWE-90, which classifies LDAP Injection as an improper neutralization issue in command injection categories. It also maps to techniques observed in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to credential access and discovery phases where attackers leverage injected queries to harvest credentials or map out directory structures for lateral movement planning. The lack of parameterized query support or strict allow-listing of input characters contributes directly to this risk profile. Organizations relying on Liderahenk versions prior to 3.5.5 are advised to treat this as a high-priority remediation item due to the potential for both authentication bypass and significant data exposure.
Mitigation strategies should focus primarily on upgrading to version 3.5.5 or later, where the developers have presumably addressed these input handling deficiencies. For environments unable to upgrade immediately, defensive measures include implementing strict input validation that rejects any characters with special LDAP significance unless explicitly required for legitimate functionality. Additionally, employing parameterized queries if supported by the framework can significantly reduce risk by separating code from data during query construction. Network-level controls such as firewalls or web application firewalls may offer some protection by detecting known injection patterns in HTTP requests targeting vulnerable endpoints, though these are not substitutes for proper code remediation. Regular security audits and static analysis of LDAP interaction modules are recommended to ensure ongoing compliance with secure coding standards and to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced during future development cycles.