CVE-2026-97898 in Keyless Entry Cloud Service
Summary
by MITRE • 09/25/2026
Insecure Direct Object Reference / missing object-level authorization in the Akia keyless entry cloud service. The unlock action is relying on a client-supplied room/door identifier that is not properly authorized server-side against the authenticated guest's booking. An authenticated guest could unlock rooms other than their own, resulting in unauthorized physical access to guest rooms at an affected property.
As of 19th September 2026 the service is no more vulnerable to this attack (feedback received by the reporter).
The attack is remote but the effect is local to an affected property.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/25/2026
The vulnerability described constitutes a classic Insecure Direct Object Reference, commonly categorized under CWE-639 in industry standard classification systems. This flaw arises from a fundamental failure in server-side authorization logic within the Akia keyless entry cloud service. Specifically, the application relies on client-supplied identifiers for rooms or doors to execute unlock actions without verifying whether the authenticated user possesses legitimate access rights to that specific resource. In secure architectural designs, object-level authorization must be enforced at the backend by cross-referencing the requested resource identifier against the permissions associated with the active session token of the authenticated guest. The absence of this verification step allows an attacker who has valid credentials for one account to manipulate request parameters and target identifiers belonging to other guests or restricted areas within the same property infrastructure.
From a tactical perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with techniques observed in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those involving privilege escalation through improper access control mechanisms. Although the attack vector is remote because it exploits network-accessible APIs of the cloud service, the resulting impact is strictly local to the physical premises hosting the affected property. An authenticated guest can exploit this flaw by intercepting and modifying API requests to include room or door identifiers that do not correspond to their own booking reservation. By successfully submitting these unauthorized unlock commands, the attacker gains the ability to physically enter rooms they are not authorized to access, effectively bypassing the intended security boundaries established by the hotel management system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it compromises both physical and digital security postures simultaneously. Unauthorized physical access poses direct risks to guest safety, privacy, and property integrity. Attackers could potentially steal personal belongings, cause damage to rooms, or use unauthorized entry points for further malicious activities such as social engineering attacks against staff or other guests. Furthermore, the breach undermines trust in the keyless entry system, which is often relied upon by modern hospitality establishments for seamless guest experiences. The ability to unlock any door within a property using valid credentials from another account represents a severe degradation of security controls that are expected to provide isolation between different user entities and their respective resources.
Mitigation strategies must focus on implementing robust server-side validation mechanisms. Developers should ensure that every API endpoint handling sensitive operations like unlocking doors performs strict authorization checks against the database records associated with the authenticated user's session. This involves verifying that the room or door identifier in the request matches one of the identifiers linked to the current guest’s booking record before processing the unlock command. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege and using indirect object references rather than direct identifiers can further reduce exposure risk. Although the service provider has confirmed as of September 19th, 2026 that this vulnerability is no longer exploitable due to remediation efforts based on reporter feedback, organizations relying on similar architectures should audit their own implementations for analogous flaws to prevent future incidents. Continuous monitoring and regular security assessments are essential to maintain integrity in cloud-based access control systems.