# CVE-2026-40865: Horilla: Insecure Direct Object Reference at `/employee/view-file/<int:id>

> Authenticated users can access other employees' sensitive HR documents by manipulating the document ID in the request.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 21 Apr 2026
- **Updated:** 21 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-85cj-fwjh-fjv7

## What is CVE-2026-40865?

CVE-2026-40865 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in horilla-opensource horilla, published on 21 Apr 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Horilla is a free and open source Human Resource Management System (HRMS). In 1.5.0, an insecure direct object reference in the employee document viewer allows any authenticated user to access other employees’ uploaded documents by changing the document ID in the request. This exposes sensitive HR files such as identity documents, contracts, certificates, and other private employee records.

Weakness: CWE-639 (Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key), CWE-284 (Improper Access Control)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-40865?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-40865?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-40865 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-40865 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-40865 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-40865 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-40865 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in horilla-opensource horilla, published on 21 Apr 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-40865 exists.

Affected product: horilla-opensource horilla. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-40865/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-40865/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-40865
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-40865
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-40865

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-40865/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.