CVE-2026-77146 in femanager
Summary
by MITRE • 08/25/2026
The extension's invitation controller fails to stop processing after redirecting on invalid input (missing hash, non-existent, disabled, or deleted users), allowing an unauthenticated attacker to set a new password for and re-enable an arbitrary existing frontend user account. This vulnerability is only present in the 8.x versions of the extension.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/25/2026
The identified security flaw resides within the invitation controller logic of a specific software extension, affecting exclusively version 8.x deployments. The core technical deficiency involves improper input validation and state management during the password reset or account re-enablement workflow. Specifically, when the system processes an invitation request containing invalid parameters—such as missing hash values, references to non-existent users, disabled accounts, or deleted user profiles—the controller fails to halt execution after issuing a redirect response. In standard web application security practices, once a server sends a final HTTP status code indicating redirection or termination of processing for that specific request context, subsequent logic should not execute. However, in this instance, the control flow continues despite the invalid state, allowing the system to proceed with updating user attributes based on unauthenticated input data.
This architectural oversight creates a critical privilege escalation vector where an attacker who is not authenticated can manipulate backend processes intended for legitimate users. By exploiting the failure to stop processing after redirecting on invalid inputs, an adversary can effectively bypass authentication requirements entirely. The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it permits the setting of new passwords and the re-enabling of arbitrary existing frontend user accounts. This means that any account previously disabled by administrators or deleted from active use but retained in the database for historical reasons can be resurrected with a password chosen by the attacker. Consequently, attackers gain unauthorized access to these accounts, potentially leading to data breaches, impersonation of legitimate users, and further lateral movement within the application environment.
From an industry standards perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-284 Improper Access Control, as it allows unauthenticated actors to perform actions restricted to authenticated or authorized entities. It also reflects aspects of CWE-601 URL Redirection to Untrusted Site Open Redirect if the redirect mechanism is manipulated, but more critically, it represents a logic flaw akin to CWE-915 Improvement of Improperly Controlled Modification of Dynamically-Determined Object Attributes. The attack technique corresponds to MITRE ATT&CK Tactic TA0004 (Privilege Escalation) and specifically Technique T1078 Valid Accounts, as the attacker leverages existing but inactive accounts to gain persistent access without needing initial credentials.
Mitigation strategies must focus on enforcing strict state validation before any user data modification occurs. Developers should implement a check that verifies the validity of the invitation token and the current status of the target user account prior to processing password updates or re-enablement requests. If the input is invalid, such as missing hashes or referencing non-existent entities, the system must immediately terminate the request handling process without executing any subsequent logic that modifies database records. Additionally, implementing robust session management and ensuring that redirect responses are final can prevent this race condition-like behavior where post-redirect processing occurs. Upgrading to a patched version of the extension is the primary remediation step for organizations still running vulnerable 8.x releases, as earlier versions likely contain these fixes in their updated controller logic.