{"description":"Trending threats, MITRE ATT\u0026CK coverage, and detection metadata — refreshed continuously.","feed_url":"https://feed.craftedsignal.io/tags/cve-2026-40525/","home_page_url":"https://feed.craftedsignal.io/","items":[{"_cs_actors":[],"_cs_cves":[{"cvss":9.1,"id":"CVE-2026-40525"}],"_cs_exploited":false,"_cs_products":[],"_cs_severities":["critical"],"_cs_tags":["CVE-2026-40525","authentication-bypass","openviking","api"],"_cs_type":"advisory","_cs_vendors":[],"content_html":"\u003cp\u003eOpenViking, a bot management framework, contains a critical authentication bypass vulnerability (CVE-2026-40525) affecting versions prior to commit c7bb167. Specifically, the VikingBot OpenAPI HTTP route surface fails to enforce authentication when the \u003ccode\u003eapi_key\u003c/code\u003e configuration value is either unset or configured as an empty string. This vulnerability enables remote attackers with network access to the exposed OpenViking service to bypass authentication controls and execute privileged bot-control functionalities. This includes submitting attacker-controlled prompts, creating or manipulating bot sessions, and gaining unauthorized access to downstream tools, integrations, secrets, and sensitive data that the bot has access to. Given the potential for broad impact and ease of exploitation, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations using vulnerable versions of OpenViking.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"attack-chain\"\u003eAttack Chain\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttacker identifies a vulnerable OpenViking instance with an exposed VikingBot OpenAPI endpoint.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttacker checks the \u003ccode\u003eapi_key\u003c/code\u003e configuration on the target, either through misconfiguration or default settings, it\u0026rsquo;s found to be unset or empty.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttacker crafts a malicious HTTP request to the VikingBot OpenAPI endpoint, omitting the required \u003ccode\u003eX-API-Key\u003c/code\u003e header.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDue to the authentication bypass, the vulnerable OpenViking instance processes the attacker\u0026rsquo;s request without proper authentication.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttacker utilizes the exposed bot-control functionalities to submit malicious prompts.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttacker creates or hijacks bot sessions, leveraging the compromised session to access downstream systems.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttacker leverages the bot\u0026rsquo;s permissions to access internal tools, integrations, and secrets, potentially escalating privileges.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttacker exfiltrates sensitive data or compromises downstream systems accessible to the bot.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"impact\"\u003eImpact\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuccessful exploitation of CVE-2026-40525 allows attackers to completely bypass authentication controls and gain full access to bot control functionalities within the OpenViking framework. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, compromise of downstream systems and integrations, and potential financial loss. The CVSS v3.1 base score for this vulnerability is 9.1, highlighting its critical severity and the potential for widespread damage.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"recommendation\"\u003eRecommendation\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eImmediately upgrade OpenViking to a version containing commit c7bb167 or later to patch CVE-2026-40525.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf upgrading is not immediately possible, configure a strong, unique \u003ccode\u003eapi_key\u003c/code\u003e value within the OpenViking configuration to mitigate the authentication bypass.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeploy the Sigma rule \u0026ldquo;OpenViking Authentication Bypass Attempt\u0026rdquo; to detect unauthorized requests to the VikingBot API endpoint lacking the \u003ccode\u003eX-API-Key\u003c/code\u003e header.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMonitor web server logs for HTTP requests to the VikingBot OpenAPI endpoint without the \u003ccode\u003eX-API-Key\u003c/code\u003e header to identify potential exploitation attempts using the \u0026ldquo;OpenViking API requests without API Key\u0026rdquo; Sigma rule.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReview access logs for downstream systems connected to OpenViking for any unauthorized activity originating from the OpenViking server following potential exploitation.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n","date_modified":"2026-04-17T19:16:39Z","date_published":"2026-04-17T19:16:39Z","id":"/briefs/2024-02-openviking-auth-bypass/","summary":"OpenViking versions prior to commit c7bb167 are vulnerable to an authentication bypass that allows remote attackers to invoke privileged bot-control functionality without authentication when the api_key configuration is unset or empty, potentially leading to unauthorized access to downstream systems and data.","title":"OpenViking Authentication Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2026-40525)","url":"https://feed.craftedsignal.io/briefs/2024-02-openviking-auth-bypass/"}],"language":"en","title":"CraftedSignal Threat Feed — CVE-2026-40525","version":"https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1"}