CWE-862: Missing Authorization

Description:
The product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.

Affected languages: Not Language-Specific
Affected technologies: AI/ML, Web Server, Database Server, Not Technology-Specific
Parent weaknesses: CWE-285, CWE-284

Consequences:
  - Confidentiality: Read Application Data
  - Integrity: Modify Application Data
  - Access Control: Gain Privileges or Assume Identity
  - Availability: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart

Detection methods:
  - Automated Static Analysis: Automated static analysis is useful for detecting commonly-used idioms for authorization. A tool may be able to analyze related configuration files, such as .htaccess in Apache web servers, or detect 
  - Automated Dynamic Analysis: Automated dynamic analysis may find many or all possible interfaces that do not require authorization, but manual analysis is required to determine if the lack of authorization violates business logic
  - Manual Analysis: This weakness can be detected using tools and techniques that require manual (human) analysis, such as penetration testing, threat modeling, and interactive tools that allow the tester to record and m
  - Manual Static Analysis - Binary or Bytecode: According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful: 
                   
                      Cost effective for partial coverage: 
                         
             

Mitigations:
  - [Architecture and Design] Divide the product into anonymous, normal, privileged, and administrative areas. Reduce the attack surface by carefully mapping roles with data and functionality. Use role-based access control (RBAC) [REF-229] to enforce the roles at the appropriate boundaries. 
                   Note that this app
  - [Architecture and Design] Ensure that access control checks are performed related to the business logic. These checks may be different than the access control checks that are applied to more generic resources such as files, connections, processes, memory, and database records. For example, a database may restrict access for 
  - [Architecture and Design] Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. 
                   For example, consider using authorization frameworks such as the JAAS Authorization Framework [REF-233] and the OWASP ESAPI Access Control 
  - [Architecture and Design] For web applications, make sure that the access control mechanism is enforced correctly at the server side on every page. Users should not be able to access any unauthorized functionality or information by simply requesting direct access to that page. 
                   One way to do this is to ens

Demonstrative examples:
This function runs an arbitrary SQL query on a given database, returning the result of the query.
While this code is careful to avoid SQL Injection, the function does not confirm the user sending the query is authorized to do so. An attacker may be able to obtain sensitive employee information from the database.
function runEmployeeQuery($dbName, $name){ mysql_select_db($dbName,$globalDbHandle) or die("Could not open Database".$dbName); 
                         //Use a prepared statement to avoid CWE-89 
                         $preparedStatement = $globalDbHandle->prepare('SELECT * FROM employees WHERE name = :name'); $preparedStatement->execute(array(':name' => $name)); return $preparedStatement->fetchAll(); } 
                      /.../ 
                      
                      $

The following program could be part of a bulletin board system that allows users to send private messages to each other. This program intends to authenticate the user before deciding whether a private message should be displayed. Assume that LookupMessageObject() ensures that the $id argument is numeric, constructs a filename based on that id, and reads the message details from that file. Also assume that the program stores all private messages for all users in the same directory.
While the program properly exits if authentication fails, it does not ensure that the message is addressed to the user. As a result, an authenticated attacker could provide any arbitrary identifier and read private messages that were intended for other users.
sub DisplayPrivateMessage { my($id) = @_; my $Message 

Real-world examples:
  - CVE-2026-32228: workflow management product does not check authorization for running a workflow, allowing UI and API users to trigger workflow objects for which they have no access
  - CVE-2024-6845: chatbot Wordpress plugin does not perform authorization on a REST endpoint, allowing retrieval of an API key
  - CVE-2025-2224: AI-enabled WordPress plugin has a missing capability check for a particular function, allowing changing public status of posts
  - CVE-2022-24730: Go-based continuous deployment product does not check that a user has certain privileges to update or create an app, allowing adversaries to read sensitive repository information
  - CVE-2009-3168: Web application does not restrict access to admin scripts, allowing authenticated users to reset administrative passwords.