CVE-2026-85500
Published:September 17, 2026
Updated:September 22, 2026
Authentication Bypass by Primary Weakness vulnerability in team-alembic AshAuthentication allows an unconfirmed user to obtain a session, defeating a mandatory email confirmation requirement.
AshAuthentication.Strategy.Password.Actions.check_user/2 decides whether the attribute named by require_confirmed_with is set using a bare is_nil(Map.get(user, value)). When that attribute is not selected on the loaded record Map.get/2 returns %Ash.NotLoaded{}, and when a field policy denies it for the current actor it returns %Ash.ForbiddenField{}. Neither is nil, so the rejection branch is skipped and sign-i
require_confirmed_with is enforced in two places, and neither holds in every configuration. sign_in_with_token and register are checked only inside AshAuthentication.Strategy.Password.Actions, not on the action itself, so any caller that invokes the action directly skips the check. An API layer such as AshGraphql or AshJsonApi invokes the action directly, so this applies to the default configuration. Where a check does run it compares the confirmation attribute against nil. That attribute holds %Ash.NotLoaded{} or %Ash.ForbiddenField{} when it sets select_by_default?: false, when an API layer narrows the read's select, or when a field policy hides it from the sign-in actor. Neither struct is nil, so those configurations read every user as confirmed.
This issue affects ash_authentication: from 4.3.8 before 4.15.0 and from 5.0.0-rc.0 before 5.0.0-rc.14.
Affected Packages
https://github.com/team-alembic/ash_authentication.git (GITHUB):
Affected version(s) >=v4.3.8 <v4.15.0Fix Suggestion:
Update to version v4.15.0https://github.com/team-alembic/ash_authentication.git (GITHUB):
Affected version(s) >=v5.0.0-rc.0 <v5.0.0-rc.14Fix Suggestion:
Update to version v5.0.0-rc.14ash_authentication (HEX):
Affected version(s) >=5.0.0-rc.0 <5.0.0-rc.14Fix Suggestion:
Update to version 5.0.0-rc.14ash_authentication (HEX):
Affected version(s) >=4.3.8 <4.15.0Fix Suggestion:
Update to version 4.15.0Related Resources (6)
Do you need more information?
Contact UsCVSS v4
Base Score:
9.1
Attack Vector
NETWORK
Attack Complexity
LOW
Attack Requirements
PRESENT
Privileges Required
NONE
User Interaction
NONE
Vulnerable System Confidentiality
HIGH
Vulnerable System Integrity
HIGH
Vulnerable System Availability
NONE
Subsequent System Confidentiality
NONE
Subsequent System Integrity
NONE
Subsequent System Availability
NONE
CVSS v3
Base Score:
9.1
Attack Vector
NETWORK
Attack Complexity
LOW
Privileges Required
NONE
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
HIGH
Integrity
HIGH
Availability
NONE
Weakness Type (CWE)
Authentication Bypass by Primary Weakness
EPSS
Base Score:
0.55