Executive Intelligence Brief

A critical vulnerability (CVE-2026-114661) with a CVSS score of 8.5 has been identified in OpenRemote versions 1.2.0 before 1.31.0. This vulnerability allows any authenticated user to start, stop, and query gateway tunnels without needing administrative privileges, potentially leading to unauthorized access and disruption of services. The vulnerability has not been reported as actively exploited but poses a significant risk due to its severity and potential impact. Immediate patching to version 1.31.0 or later is strongly recommended.

Threat Overview

OpenRemote is an open-source automation platform used for managing and integrating various smart devices and systems. The platform's GatewayServiceResource component is affected by a missing authorization vulnerability. This component is crucial for managing gateway tunnels, which are used to establish connections between the OpenRemote system and edge gateways. The vulnerability allows attackers with authenticated access to manipulate these tunnels, potentially gaining unauthorized access to the network or disrupting critical operations.

Technical Deep Dive

Vulnerability Classification

The vulnerability is classified as CWE-862, which involves missing authorization. This class of vulnerability occurs when a system fails to properly verify that a user has the necessary permissions to perform a specific action. In this case, the system allows any authenticated user to perform actions on gateway tunnels that should be restricted to administrative users.

Root Cause Analysis

The root cause of this vulnerability is the lack of proper authorization checks in the GatewayServiceResource component. Specifically, the system fails to verify if a user has the required administrative role before allowing them to start, stop, or query gateway tunnels. This oversight enables attackers to bypass intended access controls.

Attack Vector & Chain

The attack vector for this vulnerability involves sending crafted HTTP requests to the gateway tunnel endpoint. An attacker can send POST or DELETE requests to manipulate gateway tunnels, potentially opening persistent bidirectional TCP circuits into an edge gateway's network or disrupting operator tunnels. The attack requires authenticated access but does not necessitate administrative privileges.

Exploitation Scenario Walkthrough

Scenario: Unauthorized Gateway Tunnel Manipulation
Reconnaissance: An attacker discovers an OpenRemote instance running a vulnerable version (1.2.0 to 1.30.0) and gains authenticated access to the system.
Weaponization: The attacker prepares crafted HTTP requests to manipulate gateway tunnels.
Delivery & Exploitation: The attacker sends a POST request to the gateway tunnel endpoint to create a new tunnel, or a DELETE request to disrupt an existing tunnel. The request is processed without proper authorization checks, allowing the attacker to bypass access controls.
Post-Exploitation: The attacker could use the manipulated tunnels to gain unauthorized access to the edge gateway's network, move laterally, or disrupt critical operations.
Impact Realization: The final impact could include unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of critical services, or compromise of the edge gateway's network.

Exploitation in the Wild

The vulnerability has not been reported as actively exploited. However, given its severity and potential impact, there is a high likelihood that attackers will target this vulnerability in the future.

Impact Analysis

Direct Impact

The direct impact of this vulnerability includes the potential for unauthorized access to gateway tunnels, allowing attackers to manipulate network connections and potentially gain access to sensitive data or disrupt critical operations.

Downstream & Cascading Effects

The downstream effects could include supply chain risks, regulatory implications, customer data exposure, and operational disruption. The blast radius of this vulnerability could extend beyond the immediate OpenRemote system to affect connected devices and services.

Affected Products & Versions

The vulnerability affects OpenRemote versions 1.2.0 through 1.30.0. Fixed versions are available in version 1.31.0 and later.

Detection & Threat Hunting

Indicators of Compromise

Indicators of compromise may include unusual activity related to gateway tunnels, such as unexpected POST or DELETE requests to the gateway tunnel endpoint, or anomalies in network traffic patterns.

Detection Rules & Signatures

Detection logic could involve monitoring for suspicious requests to the gateway tunnel endpoint, such as:
- Unauthenticated or low-privileged users making requests to start, stop, or query gateway tunnels.
- Requests that result in the creation or deletion of gateway tunnels.

Threat Hunting Queries

Threat hunting queries could involve searching for:
- Unusual patterns of gateway tunnel activity.
- Requests to the gateway tunnel endpoint from unexpected sources or with suspicious parameters.

Remediation & Hardening

Immediate Actions (0-24 hours)

Immediate patching to version 1.31.0 or later is strongly recommended. In the absence of a patch, restricting access to the gateway tunnel endpoint and closely monitoring activity could help mitigate the risk.

Short-Term Hardening (1-7 days)

Additional security controls could include:
- Implementing network segmentation to limit the impact of a potential breach.
- Enhancing monitoring and logging to detect suspicious activity.
- Restricting access to the gateway tunnel endpoint to only necessary users and services.

Strategic Recommendations

Long-term recommendations include:
- Regularly updating and patching OpenRemote instances.
- Implementing robust access controls and authorization checks for critical components.
- Conducting thorough security assessments to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.

Analyst Assessment

The threat trajectory of this vulnerability is concerning due to its severity, potential impact, and the likelihood of exploitation. Organizations using affected versions of OpenRemote should prioritize patching and implement additional security controls to mitigate the risk.

Sources

- National Vulnerability Database (NVD): CVE-2026-114661
- Vulncheck: OpenRemote 1.2.0 before 1.31.0 Missing Authorization
- GitHub: GHSA-5h8w-vg25-fw38