CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2024-35237NVD status: Deferred

mit-identibot: Missing Authorization

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2024-35237 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in mit-identibot from ZelnickB, 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. The record lists version 48e3e5e7ead6777fa75d57c7711c8e55b501c24e as the first without the flaw, so updating mit-identibot to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.5% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update mit-identibot to 48e3e5e7ead6777fa75d57c7711c8e55b501c24e or a later version.
  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
ZelnickBmit-identibot< 48e3e5e7ead6777fa75d57c7711c8e55b501c24e; before 48e3e5e7ead6777fa75d57c7711c8e55b501c24e48e3e5e7ead6777fa75d57c7711c8e55b501c24e

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
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
NoneNothing can be modified.
Availability
NoneAvailability is not affected.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N. Scored by CNA (github.com).

Official description

MIT IdentiBot is an open-source Discord bot written in Node.js that verifies individuals' affiliations with MIT, grants them roles in a Discord server, and stores information about them in a database backend. A vulnerability that exists prior to commit 48e3e5e7ead6777fa75d57c7711c8e55b501c24e impacts all users who have performed verification with an instance of MIT IdentiBot that meets the following conditions: The instance of IdentiBot is tied to a "public" Discord application—i.e., users other than the API access registrant can add it to servers; *and* the instance has not yet been patched. In affected versions, IdentiBot does not check that a server is authorized before allowing members to execute slash and user commands in that server. As a result, any user can join IdentiBot to their server and then use commands (e.g., `/kerbid`) to reveal the full name and other information about a Discord user who has verified their affiliation with MIT using IdentiBot. The latest version of MIT IdentiBot contains a patch for this vulnerability (implemented in commit 48e3e5e7ead6777fa75d57c7711c8e55b501c24e). There is no way to prevent exploitation of the vulnerability without the patch. To prevent exploitation of the vulnerability, all vulnerable instances of IdentiBot should be taken offline until they have been updated.

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

The underlying weakness: Missing Authorization

The product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Divide the product into anonymous, normal, privileged, and administrative areas. Reduce the attack surface by carefully mapping roles with data and functionality. Use role-based access control (RBAC) to enforce the roles at the appropriate boundaries. Note that this approach may not protect against horizontal authorization, i.e., it will not protect a user from attacking others with the same role.
  • Ensure that access control checks are performed related to the business logic. These checks may be different than the access control checks that are applied to more generic resources such as files, connections, processes, memory, and database records. For example, a database may restrict access for medical records to a specific database user, but each record might only be intended to be accessible to the patient and the patient's doctor.
  • Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, consider using authorization frameworks such as the JAAS Authorization Framework and the OWASP ESAPI Access Control feature.

More Missing Authorization vulnerabilities (CWE-862)

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

Recent Missing Authorization vulnerabilities

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