Unauthenticated game actions via empty authKey
Published Mar 6, 2026 · Updated Mar 6, 2026
Authentication bypass in Talishar before commit a9c218e allows remote attackers to perform authenticated game actions with an empty authKey. Game endpoints compare the supplied authKey with the stored player token using non-strict PHP inequality, so an empty string passes while an incorrect nonempty key fails. A network-reachable attacker who knows an active gameName can impersonate either player, submit game inputs and chat, and read that match's game state.
Summary
What happened
Authentication bypass in Talishar before commit a9c218e allows remote attackers to perform authenticated game actions with an empty authKey. Game endpoints compare the supplied authKey with the stored player token using non-strict PHP inequality, so an empty string passes while an incorrect nonempty key fails. A network-reachable attacker who knows an active gameName can impersonate either player, submit game inputs and chat, and read that match's game state.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-28428
- Published
- Mar 6, 2026
- Updated
- Mar 6, 2026
- Vendor
- Talishar
- Product
- Talishar
- Classifications
- CWE-287
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 6, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Mar 6, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=< a9c218efa37756c9e7eed056fbff6ee03f79aefc
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- GHSA-2659-p579-wv83 proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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