CVE-2026-28411 Overview
WeGIA is a web manager designed for charitable institutions. A critical authentication bypass vulnerability exists in versions prior to 3.6.5 due to an unsafe use of the extract() function on the $_REQUEST superglobal. This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to overwrite local variables in multiple PHP scripts, effectively bypassing authentication checks and gaining unauthorized access to administrative and protected areas of the WeGIA application.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can completely bypass authentication mechanisms to gain full administrative access to the WeGIA application, potentially compromising sensitive data of charitable institutions and their beneficiaries.
Affected Products
- WeGIA versions prior to 3.6.5
- All WeGIA installations using vulnerable PHP scripts with unsafe extract() usage
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-02-27 - CVE-2026-28411 published to NVD
- 2026-03-03 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-28411
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability (CWE-288: Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel) stems from a dangerous coding practice in PHP where the extract() function is used on user-controlled input. When extract() is called on the $_REQUEST superglobal without proper safeguards, it imports all HTTP request parameters as PHP variables in the current scope. This allows an attacker to inject arbitrary values into variables that control authentication logic, session states, or access control decisions.
The vulnerability is particularly severe because it requires no authentication to exploit. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests containing parameters that, when extracted, overwrite critical variables such as those checking login status, user roles, or session validity. This effectively grants the attacker the same privileges as an authenticated administrator.
Root Cause
The root cause is the unsafe invocation of PHP's extract() function directly on the $_REQUEST superglobal array without any filtering, prefixing, or validation. The extract() function creates variables in the local scope from array keys, and when applied to user-controllable data like $_REQUEST, $_GET, or $_POST, it allows external manipulation of internal application state.
Best practices mandate either avoiding extract() entirely on user input, or using the EXTR_SKIP or EXTR_PREFIX_ALL flags to prevent overwriting existing variables. The vulnerable WeGIA code failed to implement any of these protective measures.
Attack Vector
The attack is conducted over the network without requiring any prior authentication or user interaction. An attacker can send specially crafted HTTP requests to multiple vulnerable PHP scripts within the WeGIA application. By including request parameters that correspond to internal variable names used for authentication checks (such as $authenticated, $is_admin, $user_id, or similar), the attacker can set these variables to values that bypass security controls.
For example, if a script checks if ($logged_in == true) after calling extract($_REQUEST), an attacker can simply include logged_in=1 in their HTTP request to bypass the authentication check entirely. This pattern affects multiple scripts throughout the application, making it a systemic vulnerability.
For detailed technical analysis and exploitation vectors, refer to the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-g7r9-hxc8-8vh7.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-28411
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual HTTP requests to WeGIA PHP scripts containing parameters that match common PHP variable names used for authentication (e.g., logged_in, is_admin, user_id, session_valid)
- Access to administrative endpoints from IP addresses without corresponding login events
- Web server logs showing requests with excessive or unusual GET/POST parameters targeting authentication-related scripts
- Database modifications or sensitive data access without legitimate authentication records
Detection Strategies
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block requests containing suspicious parameter names commonly associated with authentication variables
- Monitor access logs for requests to administrative endpoints that lack corresponding session creation or login events
- Deploy anomaly detection to identify access patterns inconsistent with normal user behavior, particularly direct access to protected resources
- Review application logs for authentication events that don't match expected workflows
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable detailed logging for all authentication-related activities within WeGIA
- Configure alerts for access to administrative functions without prior authentication events
- Monitor for requests containing multiple parameters that could be used for variable injection attacks
- Implement session tracking to correlate access to protected resources with legitimate login events
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-28411
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade WeGIA to version 3.6.5 or later immediately, as this version contains the security fix
- If immediate upgrade is not possible, restrict network access to the WeGIA application to trusted IP addresses only
- Review access logs for signs of exploitation prior to patching
- Consider temporarily disabling the application until the patch can be applied in high-risk environments
Patch Information
The vulnerability is fixed in WeGIA version 3.6.5. Organizations should update to this version or later as soon as possible. The fix addresses the unsafe usage of the extract() function on user-controlled input, implementing proper input handling that prevents variable overwriting attacks.
For patch details, see the GitHub Security Advisory.
Workarounds
- Implement network-level access controls to restrict WeGIA access to trusted IP ranges only
- Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) with rules to block requests containing common authentication variable names in request parameters
- If source code access is available, manually audit and remediate extract($_REQUEST) calls by replacing them with explicit variable assignment or adding the EXTR_SKIP flag
- Enable additional authentication layers such as VPN access requirements for administrative functions
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
