CVE-2026-26336: Hyland Alfresco Information Disclosure

CVE-2026-26336 Overview

CVE-2026-26336 is an Improper Authorization vulnerability (CWE-863) affecting Hyland Alfresco, a widely-used enterprise content management platform. This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to read arbitrary files from protected directories (like WEB-INF) via the /share/page/resource/ endpoint, leading to the disclosure of sensitive configuration files.

The vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations using Hyland Alfresco, as it enables attackers to access protected resources without any authentication requirements. This could expose database credentials, API keys, internal configuration settings, and other sensitive information that should remain protected.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this vulnerability to read sensitive configuration files from protected directories, potentially exposing credentials and internal system configurations.

Affected Products

• Hyland Alfresco Platform

Discovery Timeline

• February 19, 2026 - CVE-2026-26336 published to NVD
• February 19, 2026 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-26336

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents a classic Improper Authorization flaw where the /share/page/resource/ endpoint fails to properly validate access requests to protected resources. The underlying issue stems from insufficient access control mechanisms that should prevent unauthenticated users from accessing files within protected directories like WEB-INF.

The WEB-INF directory in Java-based web applications typically contains critical configuration files including web.xml, application context files, and properties files that may contain database connection strings, encryption keys, and other sensitive credentials. The ability to read these files without authentication represents a severe security breach that could facilitate further attacks against the system.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2026-26336 lies in improper authorization checks within the resource endpoint handler. The /share/page/resource/ endpoint does not adequately validate whether the requested resource path falls within protected directories before serving the file content to the requesting user. This missing authorization check allows path traversal-style attacks to access files that should be restricted to authenticated and authorized users only.

Attack Vector

The attack can be executed remotely over the network without any authentication or user interaction. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests to the /share/page/resource/ endpoint, manipulating the resource path parameter to traverse into protected directories. By targeting the WEB-INF directory or similar protected locations, attackers can retrieve configuration files, property files, and other sensitive data that would normally be inaccessible.

The attack is particularly dangerous because it requires no credentials and can be automated to systematically extract multiple configuration files from the target system.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-26336

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP access logs showing requests to /share/page/resource/ with path traversal patterns or references to WEB-INF
• Unusual access patterns to the resource endpoint from external or unauthorized IP addresses
• Log entries indicating successful retrieval of configuration files from protected directories
• Network traffic containing responses with configuration file content or XML application context data

Detection Strategies

• Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block requests containing WEB-INF or path traversal sequences in the /share/page/resource/ endpoint
• Monitor HTTP access logs for requests targeting the vulnerable endpoint with suspicious path patterns
• Deploy intrusion detection system (IDS) signatures to identify exploitation attempts targeting this specific endpoint
• Review application server logs for any unauthorized file access warnings or errors

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for all requests to the /share/page/resource/ endpoint
• Configure alerting for any requests containing path traversal indicators or references to protected directories
• Implement real-time monitoring of access attempts to sensitive configuration files
• Regularly audit access logs for anomalous patterns that may indicate reconnaissance or exploitation activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-26336

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the Alfresco Share interface to trusted networks only until patches are applied
• Implement WAF rules to block requests to /share/page/resource/ containing WEB-INF or path traversal patterns
• Review and rotate any credentials or secrets stored in configuration files that may have been exposed
• Monitor for any signs of exploitation or unauthorized access to the vulnerable endpoint

Patch Information

Organizations should consult the VulnCheck Advisory on Hyland Alfresco for detailed patch information and remediation guidance. Contact Hyland support for the latest security patches addressing this vulnerability. Review the Hyland Alfresco Platform Overview for product update information.

Workarounds

• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF in front of the Alfresco Share application to filter requests to the vulnerable endpoint
• Restrict access to the /share/page/resource/ endpoint at the network or application level
• Consider temporarily disabling the Alfresco Share module if it is not critical to operations until patches are available
• Implement additional authentication requirements at the network layer for accessing the Share interface

# Example: Apache mod_rewrite rule to block malicious requests
# Add to Apache configuration or .htaccess
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} /share/page/resource/ [NC]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} (WEB-INF|\.\./) [NC]
RewriteRule .* - [F,L]