Authentication Bypass
Attack Pattern ID: 115 (Standard Attack Pattern Completeness: Stub)Typical Severity: MediumStatus: Draft
+ Description

Summary

An attacker gains access to application, service, or device with the privileges of an authorized or privileged user by evading or circumventing an authentication mechanism. The attacker is therefore able to access protected data without authentication ever having taken place. This refers to an attacker gaining access equivalent to an authenticated user without ever going through an authentication procedure. This is usually the result of the attacker using an unexpected access procedure that does not go through the proper checkpoints where authentication should occur. For example, a web site might assume that all users will click through a given link in order to get to secure material and simply authenticate everyone that clicks the link. However, an attacker might be able to reach secured web content by explicitly entering the path to the content rather than clicking through the authentication link, thereby avoiding the check entirely. This attack pattern differs from other uthentication attacks in that attacks of this pattern avoid authentication entirely, rather than faking authentication by exploiting flaws or by stealing credentials from legitimate users.

+ Attack Prerequisites

An authentication mechanism or subsystem impmenting some form of authentication such as passwords, digest authentication, security certificates, etc.

+ Resources Required

A client application, such as a web browser, or a scripting language capable of interacting with the target.

+ Related Weaknesses
CWE-IDWeakness NameWeakness Relationship Type
592Authentication Bypass IssuesTargeted
+ Related Attack Patterns
NatureTypeIDNameDescriptionView(s) this relationship pertains toView\(s\)
ChildOfCategoryCategory225Exploitation of Authentication 
Mechanism of Attack (primary)1000