CVE-2026-40525: CWE-636 Not Failing Securely ('Fail Open') in volcengine OpenViking
OpenViking versions prior to commit c7bb167 have an authentication bypass vulnerability due to a fail-open design in the VikingBot OpenAPI HTTP route. When the api_key configuration is unset or empty, the authentication check does not block access, allowing remote attackers with network access to invoke privileged bot-control functions without a valid X-API-Key header. This includes submitting prompts, managing bot sessions, and accessing sensitive downstream resources.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2026-40525 describes a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in volcengine's OpenViking product before commit c7bb167. The issue arises because the VikingBot OpenAPI HTTP route fails securely when the api_key configuration is missing or empty, effectively allowing unauthorized access. Attackers can remotely exploit this to perform privileged operations such as controlling bot sessions and accessing integrations or secrets without authentication. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-636 (Not Failing Securely, 'Fail Open') and has a CVSS 4.0 score of 9.1, indicating a critical severity level.
Potential Impact
Exploitation of this vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to bypass authentication controls entirely, gaining unauthorized access to privileged bot-control functionality. This can lead to unauthorized submission of prompts, creation and use of bot sessions, and access to downstream tools, integrations, secrets, or data accessible to the bot. The impact is critical due to the high potential for unauthorized control and data exposure.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Since no official fix or patch links are provided and the remediation level is unspecified, users should verify if the api_key configuration is properly set and not left empty or unset as a temporary mitigation. Monitor vendor communications for an official fix or update that addresses the fail-open authentication check.
CVE-2026-40525: CWE-636 Not Failing Securely ('Fail Open') in volcengine OpenViking
Description
OpenViking versions prior to commit c7bb167 have an authentication bypass vulnerability due to a fail-open design in the VikingBot OpenAPI HTTP route. When the api_key configuration is unset or empty, the authentication check does not block access, allowing remote attackers with network access to invoke privileged bot-control functions without a valid X-API-Key header. This includes submitting prompts, managing bot sessions, and accessing sensitive downstream resources.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-40525 describes a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in volcengine's OpenViking product before commit c7bb167. The issue arises because the VikingBot OpenAPI HTTP route fails securely when the api_key configuration is missing or empty, effectively allowing unauthorized access. Attackers can remotely exploit this to perform privileged operations such as controlling bot sessions and accessing integrations or secrets without authentication. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-636 (Not Failing Securely, 'Fail Open') and has a CVSS 4.0 score of 9.1, indicating a critical severity level.
Potential Impact
Exploitation of this vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to bypass authentication controls entirely, gaining unauthorized access to privileged bot-control functionality. This can lead to unauthorized submission of prompts, creation and use of bot sessions, and access to downstream tools, integrations, secrets, or data accessible to the bot. The impact is critical due to the high potential for unauthorized control and data exposure.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Since no official fix or patch links are provided and the remediation level is unspecified, users should verify if the api_key configuration is properly set and not left empty or unset as a temporary mitigation. Monitor vendor communications for an official fix or update that addresses the fail-open authentication check.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- VulnCheck
- Date Reserved
- 2026-04-13T20:29:02.810Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 69e27e0fbdfbbecc5978c959
Added to database: 4/17/2026, 6:38:07 PM
Last enriched: 4/17/2026, 6:53:14 PM
Last updated: 4/17/2026, 8:52:21 PM
Views: 6
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