CVE-2026-16454 Overview
CVE-2026-16454 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in the Eclipse hawkBit Direct Device Integration (DDI) Controller affecting versions 1.0.3 and prior. The flaw stems from missing object-level authorization checks [CWE-284, CWE-862], allowing an authenticated device to download firmware artifacts outside its assigned scope. Any device with valid tenant credentials can retrieve arbitrary firmware artifacts within the same tenant, bypassing the assignment boundary that normally restricts distribution. A secondary issue in the software modules artifact metadata listing endpoint compounds the impact by enabling artifact enumeration.
Critical Impact
Authenticated devices can bypass assignment boundaries to download and enumerate any firmware artifact within their tenant, exposing intellectual property and other tenants' update payloads.
Affected Products
- Eclipse hawkBit versions 1.0.3 and prior
- Eclipse hawkBit Direct Device Integration (DDI) Controller
- Eclipse hawkBit software modules artifact metadata endpoint
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-07-21 - CVE-2026-16454 published to NVD
- 2026-07-22 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-16454
Vulnerability Analysis
Eclipse hawkBit is a domain-independent back-end framework for rolling out software updates to constrained edge devices and enterprise infrastructure. Devices authenticate to the DDI Controller and are expected to receive only the firmware artifacts assigned to them through distribution sets.
The vulnerability breaks this tenancy model. An authenticated device can request firmware artifacts that were never assigned to it and the controller serves the download. The requesting device still needs valid credentials for its tenant, so this is not an authentication bypass. It is a broken object-level authorization failure at the artifact download endpoint.
A related lower-severity flaw exists in the endpoint that lists software module artifact metadata. That endpoint does not enforce assignment checks either, allowing an attacker-controlled device to enumerate artifact identifiers. Enumeration turns opportunistic access into targeted exfiltration when combined with the download authorization bypass.
Root Cause
The DDI Controller performs authentication but omits per-request checks that the artifact being requested is actually assigned to the calling device. Authorization is treated as coarse-grained tenant membership rather than fine-grained artifact ownership, mapping to [CWE-284] Improper Access Control and [CWE-862] Missing Authorization.
Attack Vector
An attacker who compromises or provisions a single device within a tenant issues DDI download requests referencing artifact identifiers outside its assignment. The artifact metadata listing endpoint is queried first to enumerate valid identifiers. The controller returns the requested firmware binary, enabling exfiltration of update payloads intended for other devices in the same tenant.
No verified proof-of-concept code is publicly available. Refer to the Eclipse hawkBit GitHub Security Advisory for maintainer-provided technical detail.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-16454
Indicators of Compromise
- DDI download requests from a device targeting artifact identifiers that do not appear in that device's assigned distribution set history.
- Bursts of requests to the software module artifact metadata listing endpoint from a single device identity, indicating enumeration.
- Unexpected 200 responses on artifact download URLs for devices that have no active rollout assignment.
Detection Strategies
- Correlate DDI access logs with the hawkBit assignment database and alert when a device downloads an artifact it was never assigned.
- Baseline per-device request patterns to the metadata listing endpoint and flag sequential or high-volume enumeration behavior.
- Review reverse proxy or ingress logs for authenticated device sessions that access artifact IDs outside their tenant's recent rollout scope.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose audit logging on the hawkBit DDI Controller and forward events to a centralized analytics platform.
- Track the ratio of assigned versus retrieved artifacts per device identity over rolling windows.
- Monitor firmware repository egress volume to detect abnormal bulk downloads originating from device credentials.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-16454
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade Eclipse hawkBit to a version later than 1.0.3 that includes the object-level authorization fix referenced in the security advisory.
- Rotate device credentials for any tenant where unauthorized artifact access is suspected.
- Audit DDI access logs retrospectively to identify devices that retrieved unassigned artifacts.
Patch Information
Refer to the Eclipse hawkBit GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-92r3-p8c2-3fpx for fixed version details and commit references. Additional coordination detail is available in the Eclipse GitLab CVE Assignment Work Item.
Workarounds
- Restrict network reachability of the DDI Controller so only known device populations can connect, reducing enumeration surface.
- Segment tenants across dedicated hawkBit instances when firmware confidentiality between device groups is required.
- Deploy a reverse proxy that validates requested artifact identifiers against an external assignment ledger before forwarding to hawkBit.
# Configuration example
# Refer to the vendor security advisory for authoritative remediation guidance.
# See: https://github.com/eclipse-hawkbit/hawkbit/security/advisories/GHSA-92r3-p8c2-3fpx
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
