CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2022-31152NVD status: Modified

synapse: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2022-31152 is a high-severity improper handling of exceptional conditions vulnerability in synapse from Matrix-org, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected synapse versions: < 1.62.0. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 1.2% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 69% of scored CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Check which version of synapse you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
  2. Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  3. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Matrix-orgsynapse< 1.62.0Not stated

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
NoneNo data is disclosed.
Integrity
NoneNothing can be modified.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. Scored by NVD.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.16.4MediumCNA (github.com)
CVSS 3.17.5HighNVD

Official description

Synapse is an open-source Matrix homeserver written and maintained by the Matrix.org Foundation. The Matrix specification specifies a list of [event authorization rules](https://spec.matrix.org/v1.2/rooms/v9/#authorization-rules) which must be checked when determining if an event should be accepted into a room. In versions of Synapse up to and including version 1.61.0, some of these rules are not correctly applied. An attacker could craft events which would be accepted by Synapse but not a spec-conformant server, potentially causing divergence in the room state between servers. Administrators of homeservers with federation enabled are advised to upgrade to version 1.62.0 or higher. Federation can be disabled by setting [`federation_domain_whitelist`](https://matrix-org.github.io/synapse/latest/usage/configuration/config_documentation.html#federation_domain_whitelist) to an empty list (`[]`) as a workaround.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions

The product does not handle or incorrectly handles an exceptional condition.

More Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions vulnerabilities (CWE-755)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Advisories

Patches and release notes

Recent Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions vulnerabilities

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