Authorization Bypass
Category: Authentication & Authorization
Severity: High
MITRE ATT&CK Mapping: T1548 (Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism)
Description
Circumvention of access controls to perform unauthorized actions, enabling attackers to bypass authorization mechanisms and access protected resources or functionality.
Technical Details
Attack Vector
- Authorization logic flaws
- Access control bypass
- Permission validation failures
- Role-based access control bypass
Common Techniques
- Parameter manipulation
- HTTP method manipulation
- Path traversal
- Role confusion attacks
Impact
- Unauthorized Actions: Performing actions beyond granted permissions
- Data Access: Access to restricted data and resources
- Privilege Escalation: Higher-level access through authorization bypass
- System Compromise: Control over protected functionality
Detection Methods
Authorization Monitoring
- Monitor authorization attempts
- Track permission checks
- Detect unauthorized access
- Analyze access patterns
Access Control Analysis
- Monitor role assignments
- Track permission changes
- Detect access anomalies
- Analyze authorization decisions
Mitigation Strategies
Access Control Implementation
- Implement proper authorization checks
- Use role-based access control
- Deploy permission validation
- Monitor access attempts
Security Controls
- Implement least privilege principles
- Use authorization logging
- Deploy access monitoring
- Monitor permission changes
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Parameter Manipulation
def delete_user(user_id, requester_id):
# Weak authorization check
if requester_id == user_id:
return delete_user_record(user_id)
# Attack: manipulate user_id to match requester_id
# delete_user(admin_user_id, admin_user_id)
Example 2: Role Confusion
def access_admin_panel(user_role):
# Flawed role check
if "admin" in user_role:
return render_admin_panel()
# Attack: user_role = "user_admin_viewer"
# Contains "admin" but shouldn't grant access
Example 3: HTTP Method Bypass
@app.route('/api/users/<user_id>', methods=['GET'])
def get_user(user_id):
# No authorization check for GET
return get_user_data(user_id)
@app.route('/api/users/<user_id>', methods=['DELETE'])
@require_admin
def delete_user(user_id):
# Authorization required for DELETE
return delete_user_data(user_id)
# Attack: Use GET to bypass authorization
References & Sources
- CyberArk - “Is your AI safe? Threat analysis of MCP”
- AppSecEngineer - “5 Critical MCP Vulnerabilities Every Security Team Should Know”
Related TTPs
Authorization bypass attacks exploit flaws in access control logic to gain unauthorized access to protected resources and functionality.