CVE-2026-73918 in Helidon
Summary
by MITRE • 08/19/2026
Vulnerability in the Helidon product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Imperative Web Server). The supported version that is affected is 4.5.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Helidon. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Helidon accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of Helidon accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Helidon. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 7.3 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2026
The identified vulnerability resides within the Imperative Web Server component of Oracle Fusion Middleware Helidon, specifically affecting version 4.5.0. This security flaw represents a critical weakness in how the web server processes incoming HTTP requests from unauthenticated network users. The core technical issue stems from insufficient validation or sanitization mechanisms applied to data inputs before they are processed by the application logic. Because the vulnerability is easily exploitable and requires no authentication, it allows any remote attacker with basic network connectivity to interact directly with the vulnerable service endpoints. This lack of access control combined with flawed input handling creates a significant attack surface that can be leveraged without prior credentials or user interaction.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its broad implications across confidentiality, integrity, and availability. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw gains unauthorized read access to a subset of data accessible by Helidon, leading to potential information disclosure. Furthermore, the vulnerability permits unauthorized updates, inserts, or deletes against other portions of the accessible data store. This compromise of integrity means that an adversary can alter critical application state, inject malicious content, or remove essential records, thereby undermining the trustworthiness and correctness of the hosted services. The ability to manipulate database operations directly through HTTP requests indicates a likely injection-based flaw where user-supplied input is executed as part of backend commands without proper escaping or parameterization.
In addition to data compromise, the vulnerability enables an attacker to cause a partial denial of service against Helidon. This availability impact suggests that maliciously crafted requests can consume excessive server resources such as memory, CPU cycles, or database connections, leading to performance degradation or temporary unavailability for legitimate users. The combination of these effects results in a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 7.3, classified as High severity. The vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L) confirms that the attack is network-based with low complexity and no prerequisites for user interaction or privileges, while affecting all three pillars of security at a moderate level each.
From an industry standard perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-89 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command, commonly known as SQL Injection, if the data manipulation involves database queries. Alternatively, it may relate to CWE-20 Improper Input Validation or CWE-77 Null Byte Injection depending on the specific implementation details of how the input is mishandled. In terms of adversary tactics, this exploitation path corresponds to MITRE ATT&CK techniques such as T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application and potentially T1053 Scheduled Task/Job if persistence mechanisms are established through data manipulation. The lack of authentication requirements also highlights a failure in implementing proper access control measures defined under CWE-287 Improper Authentication.
To mitigate this risk, immediate action is required to apply the latest security patches provided by Oracle for Helidon version 4.5.0 and subsequent versions where this flaw has been addressed. Organizations should ensure that all instances of the affected component are updated promptly. In the interim, network-level controls such as Web Application Firewalls can be configured to detect and block patterns associated with injection attacks or excessive resource consumption indicative of denial-of-service attempts. Additionally, implementing strict input validation on all HTTP endpoints exposed by Helidon is essential to prevent malicious payloads from reaching the backend processing logic. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other components that may share the same architectural flaws.