CVE-2026-77337: CWE-290: Authentication Bypass by Spoofing in cakephp authentication
Description
CakePHP Authentication versions before 2.11.2, from 3.0.0 through 3.3.6, and from 4.0.0 through 4.2.0 contain a vulnerability that allows authentication bypass and potential CPU or memory exhaustion when using the CookieAuthenticator with unencrypted, forgeable legacy tokens. This issue is resolved in versions 2.11.2, 3.3.7, and 4.2.1.
CVSS v4.0
Score 9.1critical
Affected software
cakephp
authentication
pkg:composer/cakephp/authenticationRun on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-77337 affects the CakePHP Authentication plugin, specifically when the CookieAuthenticator uses unencrypted, forgeable legacy tokens. This flaw permits attackers to bypass authentication controls and may lead to resource exhaustion (CPU or memory). The vulnerability impacts versions prior to 2.11.2, versions 3.0.0 through 3.3.6, and versions 4.0.0 through 4.2.0. The issue is fixed in versions 2.11.2, 3.3.7, and 4.2.1.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows an attacker to bypass authentication mechanisms, potentially gaining unauthorized access. Additionally, the vulnerability can cause CPU or memory exhaustion, impacting service availability. There are no known exploits in the wild as of the published date.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade affected CakePHP Authentication versions to 2.11.2, 3.3.7, or 4.2.1 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed. No other mitigation or temporary fixes are indicated. Patch status is confirmed by the version information provided.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- GitHub_M
- Date Reserved
- 2026-08-20T19:24:11.618Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6a8cbd28acd9273b492d3dab
Added to database: 08/24/2026, 21:52:40 UTC
Last enriched: 09/10/2026, 08:22:45 UTC
Last updated: 10/08/2026, 18:48:48 UTC
Views: 59
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