CVE-2026-21694 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) affecting the open-source project time tracking software Titra, specifically versions 0.99.49 and earlier. The flaw allows authenticated users with low privileges to bypass access restrictions and view or edit time entries belonging to other users within private projects they have not been granted access to. This improper access control arises from insufficient enforcement of project-level permissions in the application’s backend logic. The vulnerability does not require user interaction but does require the attacker to be authenticated with at least limited privileges, making it a horizontal privilege escalation issue. The impact includes unauthorized disclosure and modification of sensitive time tracking data, potentially leading to data integrity issues and privacy violations. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.8, indicating a medium severity level, with a vector showing network attack vector, high attack complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, unchanged scope, and high confidentiality and integrity impacts but no availability impact. The issue was publicly disclosed on January 7, 2026, and is fixed in Titra version 0.99.50. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild. Organizations using Titra for managing time tracking in private projects should upgrade immediately to mitigate the risk.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk to the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive time tracking data, which may include employee work hours, project allocations, and billing information. Unauthorized access and modification could lead to inaccurate time reporting, financial discrepancies, and potential breaches of privacy regulations such as GDPR. Organizations in sectors with strict confidentiality requirements—such as consulting, legal, and financial services—may face reputational damage and compliance issues if exploited. Since the vulnerability allows lateral movement within the application by authenticated users, insider threats or compromised accounts could leverage this flaw to escalate privileges and access restricted data. The absence of availability impact means operational disruption is unlikely, but data trustworthiness and privacy are at risk.

The primary mitigation is to upgrade Titra installations to version 0.99.50 or later, where the access control issue is resolved. Organizations should audit current user permissions and project access controls to ensure no unauthorized privileges exist. Implement strict authentication and session management policies to reduce the risk of compromised accounts being used to exploit this vulnerability. Additionally, monitor logs for unusual access patterns to private projects and time entries. If immediate upgrade is not feasible, consider restricting network access to the Titra application to trusted users only and applying compensating controls such as enhanced monitoring and manual review of time entry changes. Regularly review and update access control policies in the application and conduct security assessments to detect similar flaws.