Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Alerta deployments using LDAP could let someone sign in with an empty password if the connected LDAP server permits unauthenticated binds. The issue is critical because it can bypass login without user interaction, but only in that specific LDAP configuration.
Executive priority
Treat as urgent for any Alerta deployment using LDAP, especially if exposed beyond a trusted admin network. The practical risk drops sharply if Alerta is upgraded or LDAP rejects unauthenticated binds.
Technical view
CVE-2020-26214 affects Alerta before 8.1.0 when LDAP is the authorization provider and the LDAP server allows unauthenticated bind behavior. The fix rejects authentication attempts with empty password fields using HTTP 401. The weakness is CWE-287 authentication bypass.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Alerta versions before 8.1.0 using LDAP authentication against LDAP servers that allow unauthenticated bind requests. Non-LDAP deployments, patched deployments, or LDAP servers rejecting such binds are not indicated as affected by the provided sources.
Exploitation context
The CVSS vector indicates network access, low complexity, no privileges, and no user interaction. The provided bundle says CISA KEV is false and provides no cited evidence of active exploitation in the wild.
Researcher notes
The vulnerability hinges on RFC4513 unauthenticated authentication behavior interacting with Alerta’s LDAP handling. No CPEs are listed in the provided bundle, so asset matching should use package/version and configuration evidence rather than CPE-only detection.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Alerta or alerta-server to version 8.1.0 or later.
- Configure LDAP servers to disallow unauthenticated bind requests from clients.
- Verify Alerta returns HTTP 401 for empty-password authentication attempts.
- Review vendor advisory and release notes before changing authentication behavior.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Alerta deployments and identify versions before 8.1.0.
- Confirm whether LDAP is configured as the authorization provider.
- Confirm LDAP servers reject unauthenticated bind requests.
- Review authentication logs for successful empty-password login attempts.
- Confirm patched systems reject empty-password authentication with HTTP 401.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-287: Credential and account abuse lookup
Authentication and credential weaknesses can make valid-account abuse and credential telemetry useful review starting points. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCredential and access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references authentication or credential exposure, so valid-account and credential-access review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2020-26214 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Critical
- CVSS
- 9.1 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N3.95.2Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
9.1CriticalVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/alerta/alerta/security/advisories/GHSA-5hmm-x8q8-w5jhCVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://github.com/alerta/alerta/issues/1277CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/alerta/alerta/pull/1345CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/alerta/alerta/commit/2bfa31779a4c9df2fa68fa4d0c5c909698c5ef65CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://pypi.org/project/alerta-server/8.1.0/CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4513#section-5.1.2CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Authentication
Improper Authentication represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.