CVE-2026-86810 in Open-Web-Analytics
Summary
by MITRE • 09/08/2026
A vulnerability was detected in Open-Web-Analytics up to 1.9.1. The impacted element is the function checkCapabilityAndAuthenticateUser of the file Core/Controller.php of the component Controller. Performing a manipulation results in improper authentication. The attack may be initiated remotely. Upgrading to version 1.10.0 is sufficient to resolve this issue. The patch is named 6fc91c49eebdb8bfdfeed71cb50a5d97eac70f24. It is advisable to upgrade the affected component.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/09/2026
Open-Web-Analytics, a popular open-source web analytics platform designed as an alternative to Google Analytics, contains a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in versions up through 1.9.1. This flaw resides within the Core/Controller.php file, specifically affecting the checkCapabilityAndAuthenticateUser function which is responsible for verifying user permissions and validating session credentials before granting access to protected resources. The nature of this defect allows an attacker to manipulate request parameters or headers to circumvent the intended authentication logic, effectively allowing unauthorized users to gain elevated privileges within the application without valid credentials. This represents a severe failure in identity verification mechanisms that are fundamental to maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of web applications.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability is classified under CWE-287, which denotes Improper Authentication. The function checkCapabilityAndAuthenticateUser fails to adequately validate the user's session state or capability claims before proceeding with administrative operations. By exploiting this logic error, a remote attacker can send specially crafted HTTP requests that bypass the standard login procedures. This type of flaw is often associated with weak session management practices or insufficient checks on input data integrity during the authentication handshake process. The vulnerability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078, Valid Accounts, as it enables an adversary to assume a legitimate user identity without possessing valid credentials, thereby facilitating further malicious activities such as data exfiltration, configuration tampering, or lateral movement within the network environment hosting the analytics service.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant due to its remote exploitability and the sensitive nature of web analytics platforms. Since Open-Web-Analytics often processes substantial amounts of user behavior data, including potentially personally identifiable information depending on implementation details, an unauthorized actor gaining access could view detailed traffic reports, visitor locations, and conversion metrics. Furthermore, if administrative capabilities are exposed through this bypass, attackers could modify tracking codes, delete historical data to cover tracks, or inject malicious scripts into the analytics pipeline. This compromises not only the confidentiality of the collected data but also its integrity and availability, undermining trust in the organization's digital marketing insights and potentially violating regulatory compliance requirements such as GDPR or CCPA regarding data protection.
To mitigate this risk, immediate action is required to upgrade Open-Web-Analytics to version 1.10.0 or later, where the patch identified by commit hash 6fc91c49eebdb8bfdfeed71cb50a5d97eac70f24 has been applied. This update corrects the logic within the checkCapabilityAndAuthenticateUser function to ensure that authentication checks are performed rigorously before any capability verification occurs. Organizations should also implement defense-in-depth strategies by placing web application firewalls in front of the analytics instance to detect and block anomalous request patterns indicative of authentication bypass attempts. Additionally, regular security audits and code reviews focusing on input validation and session management practices can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced during future development cycles.