CVE-2026-73501

CRITICALCVSS 9.1/10

Last modified

CVE-2026-73501 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.1/10 on the CVSS scale. kin-openapi is a Go project for handling OpenAPI files. Prior to 0.144.0, ValidationHandler.Load() in openapi3filter/validation_handler.go silently replaces a nil AuthenticationFunc with NoopAuthenticationFunc, which returns nil without checking credentials.

Description

kin-openapi is a Go project for handling OpenAPI files. Prior to 0.144.0, ValidationHandler.Load() in openapi3filter/validation_handler.go silently replaces a nil AuthenticationFunc with NoopAuthenticationFunc, which returns nil without checking credentials. This substitution causes every OpenAPI security requirement to be satisfied for unauthenticated requests when an application relies on ValidationHandler as its enforcement middleware. The no-op callback prevents the fail-closed ErrAuthenticationServiceMissing path from being reached and forwards the request to protected handlers that may require an API key, OAuth token, or another security scheme. This issue is fixed in version 0.144.0.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
9.1/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Source: CNA advisory (CVE.org). NVD analysis pending.

VendorProductVersions
getkinkin-openapi< 0.144.0

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Received

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-73501?
kin-openapi is a Go project for handling OpenAPI files. Prior to 0.144.0, ValidationHandler.Load() in openapi3filter/validation_handler.go silently replaces a nil AuthenticationFunc with NoopAuthenticationFunc, which returns nil without checking credentials. This substitution causes every OpenAPI security requirement to be satisfied for unauthenticated requests when an application relies on ValidationHandler as its enforcement middleware. The no-op callback prevents the fail-closed ErrAuthenticationServiceMissing path from being reached and forwards the request to protected handlers that may require an API key, OAuth token, or another security scheme. This issue is fixed in version 0.144.0.
How severe is CVE-2026-73501?
CVE-2026-73501 has a CVSS score of 9.1/10 (CRITICAL severity).
How do I fix CVE-2026-73501?
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

How Strix Helps

Related CVEs from 2026

Are you affected by CVE-2026-73501?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST