Critical Vulnerabilities in Dormakaba Access Systems Exposed European Firms to Unauthorized Entry

Dormakaba Access Control Systems Patched for 20+ Critical Vulnerabilities

Security researchers have identified and helped patch more than 20 vulnerabilities in Dormakaba physical access control systems, which could have allowed threat actors to unlock doors and gain unauthorized entry at major European firms. The flaws were disclosed in a coordinated effort to mitigate risks before public release.

Technical Details

The vulnerabilities affected Dormakaba’s Saflok electronic locks and keycard systems, widely deployed in hotels, corporate offices, and secure facilities across Europe. While specific CVE IDs have not been publicly disclosed, the flaws reportedly included:

• Authentication bypass issues
• Privilege escalation vulnerabilities
• Firmware manipulation risks
• Insecure communication protocols between system components

Exploitation of these vulnerabilities could enable attackers to remotely unlock doors, clone keycards, or disable security mechanisms, posing severe physical security risks.

Impact Analysis

The vulnerabilities exposed organizations to:

• Unauthorized physical access to restricted areas
• Corporate espionage or theft risks
• Safety threats in high-security environments (e.g., data centers, executive offices)
• Compliance violations under regulations like GDPR or industry-specific security standards

Dormakaba has confirmed that no active exploitation of these flaws was observed prior to patching. However, the potential for targeted attacks by sophisticated threat actors—such as state-sponsored groups or organized crime—remains a concern for unpatched systems.

Recommendations for Security Teams

1. Apply Patches Immediately – Ensure all Dormakaba Saflok systems are updated to the latest firmware version.
2. Audit Access Logs – Review physical access logs for anomalies or unauthorized entry attempts.
3. Segment Network Access – Isolate access control systems from corporate networks to limit lateral movement risks.
4. Monitor for Exploitation – Deploy intrusion detection systems (IDS) to identify suspicious activity targeting access control infrastructure.
5. Review Physical Security Policies – Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for high-risk areas and enforce strict keycard management protocols.

Dormakaba has collaborated with cybersecurity researchers to address these issues, emphasizing the importance of proactive vulnerability management in physical security systems. Organizations relying on electronic access controls are urged to verify their systems’ security posture without delay.

For further details, refer to the original disclosure on SecurityWeek.