EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Multiple security vulnerabilities have been identified in WSO2 API Manager and related components such as API Control Plane, Traffic Manager, and Universal Gateway. These flaws, affecting versions ranging from 3.1.0 to 4.6.0, encompass critical issues including authentication bypass, privilege escalation, file upload, SQL injection, denial of service, and server-side request forgery. The business risk is significant because these platforms often serve as the primary gateway for enterprise APIs in sectors like banking and government. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to bypass authentication controls, seize administrative accounts, and access sensitive backend systems, potentially leading to a complete compromise of the API infrastructure.[/subscribe_to_unlock_form]
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Multiple security vulnerabilities have been identified in WSO2 API Manager and related components such as API Control Plane, Traffic Manager, and Universal Gateway. These flaws, affecting versions ranging from 3.1.0 to 4.6.0, encompass critical issues including authentication bypass, privilege escalation, file upload, SQL injection, denial of service, and server-side request forgery. The business risk is significant because these platforms often serve as the primary gateway for enterprise APIs in sectors like banking and government. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to bypass authentication controls, seize administrative accounts, and access sensitive backend systems, potentially leading to a complete compromise of the API infrastructure.[emaillocker id="1283"]
• CVE-2026-5430 with a CVSS score of 10.0 – This vulnerability allows an attacker to bypass JWT authentication by forging a token signed with an unsupported algorithm, leading to full account takeover without requiring login or user interaction.
• CVE-2026-1728 with a CVSS score of 9.8 – A low-privileged user can exploit this flaw to access Admin and System REST APIs, allowing them to escalate privileges to administrator without needing special setup.
• CVE-2026-4052 – In deployments running Identity Server as a Resident Key Manager with shared databases, a self-registered user can obtain a token to invoke privileged APIs and escalate privileges.
• CVE-2026-3418 with a CVSS score of 9.1 – An authenticated publisher can exploit this vulnerability to upload a file to a chosen location, which may execute as code depending on server handling.
• CVE-2026-2613 with a CVSS score of 8.7 – An authenticated administrator can perform blind SQL injection through the Admin REST API, potentially exposing database contents or disrupting the service.
• CVE-2026-4249 with a CVSS score of 8.6 – An unauthenticated attacker can inject crafted JSON into throttling events to trigger a persistent denial of service on the API Gateway.
• CVE-2026-2053 – This unauthenticated vulnerability abuses WS-Addressing headers to force the server to send requests to internal resources, exposing services behind the firewall.
These vulnerabilities present a severe risk to organizations relying on WSO2 for API management, as the authentication bypass flaw requires no credentials to execute. Exploitation could result in unauthorized access to sensitive data, complete administrative control over the API gateway, and disruption of critical business services. Given the high likelihood of targeting for internet-facing deployments, immediate action is necessary to prevent potential cascading compromises of backend systems.
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REFERENCES:
The following reports contain further technical details:
https://securityonline.info/wso2-api-manager-vulnerabilities/