CVE-2026-41464: ProjeQtor Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2026-41464 Overview

CVE-2026-41464 is a missing authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) affecting ProjeQtor project management software versions 7.0 through 12.4.3. The vulnerability exists in the objectDetail.php endpoint, which fails to properly validate user ownership or enforce role-based access controls. This allows authenticated users with minimal guest-level privileges to retrieve sensitive data belonging to other users, including password hashes and API keys.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers can bypass access controls to extract administrator credentials, password hashes, and API keys, enabling full privilege escalation and potential system compromise.

Affected Products

• ProjeQtor version 7.0
• ProjeQtor versions 7.1 through 12.4.2
• ProjeQtor version 12.4.3

Discovery Timeline

• April 27, 2026 - CVE-2026-41464 published to NVD
• April 27, 2026 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-41464

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents a classic Broken Access Control flaw where the objectDetail.php endpoint processes requests without verifying that the authenticated user has authorization to access the requested resource. When a user makes a request to retrieve object details, the application authenticates the session but fails to validate whether the user owns or has permission to view the specific data object.

The missing authorization check allows any authenticated user—even those with the lowest privilege level (guest)—to directly query and retrieve sensitive user data. This data includes password hashes stored in the database and API keys that could be used for programmatic access. The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means attackers can exploit it remotely from any location with connectivity to the ProjeQtor instance.

Root Cause

The root cause is a missing authorization control in the objectDetail.php file. The endpoint performs authentication to verify the user has a valid session but does not implement the necessary ownership or role-based access checks before returning sensitive object data. This violates the principle of least privilege and allows horizontal privilege escalation across user accounts.

Attack Vector

The attack is executed over the network and requires low-privilege authenticated access to the ProjeQtor application. An attacker first authenticates with a guest-level or low-privilege account, then crafts direct HTTP requests to the objectDetail.php endpoint. By manipulating object identifiers in the request parameters, the attacker can enumerate and retrieve data objects belonging to other users, including administrators.

The retrieved password hashes can be subjected to offline cracking attacks, while exposed API keys provide immediate unauthorized access to system functionality. Successful exploitation leads to privilege escalation, allowing the attacker to gain administrative control over the ProjeQtor instance.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-41464

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual access patterns to objectDetail.php with varying object IDs from a single low-privilege user session
• Authentication logs showing guest or low-privilege accounts accessing administrative data objects
• Rapid sequential requests to objectDetail.php indicating enumeration attempts
• Web server logs showing successful responses to object detail queries for resources the user should not access

Detection Strategies

• Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to monitor and alert on excessive requests to objectDetail.php
• Configure application logging to track object access patterns and flag cross-user data retrieval attempts
• Deploy intrusion detection signatures for enumeration patterns targeting the vulnerable endpoint
• Review access logs for anomalous activity from guest-level accounts accessing sensitive data types

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed request logging for the objectDetail.php endpoint including user session information and requested object IDs
• Set up alerts for access patterns where users query objects they do not own
• Monitor for failed and successful authentication attempts followed by systematic object enumeration
• Track password hash access and API key retrieval events across all user sessions

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-41464

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade ProjeQtor to a patched version above 12.4.3 when available
• Restrict network access to the ProjeQtor instance using firewall rules to limit exposure
• Review and audit all user accounts, removing unnecessary guest-level access
• Force password resets for all users, especially administrators, as credentials may have been compromised
• Rotate all API keys that may have been exposed through the vulnerability

Patch Information

Organizations should monitor the ProjeQtor Official Site for security updates addressing this vulnerability. Additional technical details and advisories are available through VulnCheck Advisory: Projeqtor, Damiri CVE-2026-41464, and Gryfman CVE-2026-41464.

Workarounds

• Implement a reverse proxy or WAF rule to block direct access to objectDetail.php for low-privilege users
• Apply network segmentation to limit which systems can reach the ProjeQtor application
• Disable guest user accounts until the vulnerability is patched
• Implement additional application-layer access controls if custom modifications are feasible
• Monitor and audit all access to sensitive endpoints until official patches are applied

# Example: Apache configuration to restrict objectDetail.php access by IP
<Location /tool/objectDetail.php>
    Require ip 10.0.0.0/8
    Require ip 192.168.0.0/16
</Location>