CVE-2026-39914 in TIM Flow
Summary
by MITRE • 08/24/2026
TIM Flow before 26.0.6 contains an improper authorization vulnerability that allows any authenticated user to submit arbitrary SQL queries to a privileged dashboard Excel export endpoint intended for administrative use only. Attackers can craft and submit unauthorized SQL queries to the export endpoint to retrieve sensitive database contents as a downloadable spreadsheet, bypassing role-based access controls.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/24/2026
The TIM Flow software version prior to 26.0.6 suffers from a critical improper authorization vulnerability that fundamentally undermines the integrity of its role-based access control mechanisms. This flaw resides specifically within the dashboard Excel export endpoint, which is architecturally designed and intended for exclusive use by administrative users with elevated privileges. The core technical deficiency lies in the application's failure to enforce strict permission checks on this specific API route before processing user input. Consequently, any authenticated user, regardless of their assigned role or privilege level, can interact directly with this privileged endpoint. This lack of server-side validation allows lower-privileged accounts to bypass security boundaries that are supposed to restrict access based on organizational hierarchy and job function, effectively treating all authenticated sessions as equivalent in terms of administrative capabilities.
From a technical perspective, the vulnerability enables attackers to submit arbitrary SQL queries through the export functionality. By manipulating the parameters sent to the Excel generation module, an adversary can inject malicious Structured Query Language statements that are executed against the underlying database with the privileges of the application server. This is not merely a case of reading pre-sanitized data; it involves direct query execution which allows for complex data extraction operations. The attacker crafts specific requests that instruct the backend to retrieve sensitive information from various tables within the database schema and format this output into a downloadable spreadsheet file. This mechanism bypasses standard application-level filters because the export feature likely utilizes dynamic SQL construction or ORM methods that do not adequately sanitize inputs intended for administrative reporting functions, leading to unauthorized data access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, primarily centering on confidentiality loss and potential integrity compromise. Attackers can exfiltrate sensitive database contents, which may include personally identifiable information (PII), financial records, proprietary business logic, or internal system configurations. Since the output is delivered as a structured spreadsheet, the extracted data is immediately usable for further attacks such as social engineering, credential stuffing, or competitive intelligence gathering. Furthermore, depending on the specific SQL dialect and database configuration, there may be secondary risks associated with error-based extraction techniques that could reveal schema details, facilitating more sophisticated follow-up exploits. The ability to dump entire tables via a single endpoint represents a significant breach of data governance policies and regulatory compliance requirements such as GDPR or HIPAA if applicable data types are exposed.
This vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management, specifically the failure to enforce role-based access controls on sensitive functions. It also maps directly to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts, where an attacker uses legitimate credentials to gain unauthorized access to resources. Additionally, the exploitation method involving arbitrary SQL injection falls under CWE-89 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command and corresponds to ATT&CK tactic T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter if further command execution is possible through stacked queries or out-of-band data channels. The vulnerability highlights a common architectural flaw where convenience features like bulk exports are not subjected to the same rigorous security scrutiny as primary administrative interfaces, creating an asymmetric risk profile within the application's attack surface.
To mitigate this issue, organizations must immediately upgrade TIM Flow to version 26.0.6 or later, which addresses these authorization checks at the source code level. In environments where patching is not instantly feasible, network-level controls should be implemented to restrict access to the export endpoint exclusively from known administrative IP ranges if possible, although this is less effective than proper authentication fixes. Application firewalls may also help by detecting anomalous SQL patterns in requests directed at Excel generation endpoints. Developers must ensure that all privileged functions implement strict role verification before processing any user-supplied input. Furthermore, adopting parameterized queries or prepared statements for the export functionality will prevent arbitrary code execution and mitigate injection risks regardless of authorization status. Regular security audits focusing on API endpoint permissions are essential to identify similar misconfigurations in other parts of the application logic.