Summary
CVE-2026-73925 is a high-severity vulnerability in Oracle Helidon’s Imperative Web Server component that allows an unauthenticated, remote attacker to compromise the affected server over HTTP. Successful exploitation can result in unauthorized creation, deletion, or modification of critical data, as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of accessible Helidon data. Oracle rates the flaw 8.2 (HIGH) under CVSS 3.1 and describes it as easily exploitable.
Technical details
- Root cause: A flaw in the Imperative Web Server component of Oracle Helidon that fails to properly enforce authentication/authorization controls on requests reaching this component.
- Trigger conditions: No authentication or user interaction is required; the attacker only needs network access to the exposed Helidon HTTP endpoint.
- Attack vector: Remote, over HTTP (Network attack vector, Low attack complexity, no privileges required).
- Impact: High integrity impact (unauthorized creation, deletion, or modification of critical data) combined with low confidentiality impact (partial unauthorized read access to data); availability is not affected.
Affected software
- Oracle Helidon version 1.4.19 (Imperative Web Server component), as identified in the Oracle Critical Patch Update advisory for August 2026.
Severity
- CVSS v3.1 Base Score: 8.2 (HIGH)
- Vector:
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N
Mitigation and recommended actions
- Immediate: Apply the fix provided in Oracle’s Critical Patch Update for August 2026 (Security Alert cspuaug2026) and upgrade Oracle Helidon beyond the affected 1.4.19 release as directed by the Oracle advisory.
- If no patch can be applied immediately: Restrict network access to Helidon-based Imperative Web Server endpoints (e.g., via firewall rules, network segmentation, or placing the service behind an authenticating reverse proxy/gateway) to limit exposure to trusted networks only, and monitor for anomalous HTTP requests targeting the service until the patch can be deployed.

