continuwuity: Unintended Proxy or Intermediary
CVE-2026-24471 is a critical-severity unintended proxy or intermediary vulnerability in continuwuity, with a CVSS 4.0 base score of 9.3 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, but only if a user takes part, for example by opening a link or file. Affected continuwuity versions: < 0.5.1. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.35% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Check which version of continuwuity you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
- Because the attack needs a user to take part, warn users about unexpected links and files related to this product until it is patched.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continuwuity | continuwuity | < 0.5.1 | Not 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.
- Attack requirements
- NoneThe attack does not depend on a particular deployment or configuration.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- PassiveA user only needs to do something routine, such as viewing a page.
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of confidentiality on the vulnerable system.
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of integrity on the vulnerable system.
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of availability on the vulnerable system.
- Confidentiality (other systems)
- LowLimited loss of confidentiality on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Integrity (other systems)
- LowLimited loss of integrity on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Availability (other systems)
- HighSerious loss of availability on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:L/SI:L/SA:H/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X. Scored by CNA (github.com).
Official description
continuwuity is a Matrix homeserver written in Rust. This vulnerability allows an attacker with a malicious remote server to cause the local server to sign an arbitrary event upon user interaction. Upon a user account leaving a room (rejecting an invite), joining a room or knocking on a room, the victim server may ask a remote server for assistance. If the victim asks the attacker server for assistance the attacker is able to provide an arbitrary event, which the victim will sign and return to the attacker. For the /leave endpoint, this works for any event with a supported room version, where the origin and origin_server_ts is set by the victim. For the /join endpoint, an additionally victim-set content field in the format of a join membership is needed. For the /knock endpoint, an additional victim-set content field in the format of a knock membership and a room version not between 1 and 6 is needed. This was exploited as a part of a larger chain against the continuwuity.org homeserver. This vulnerability affects all Conduit-derived servers. This vulnerability is fixed in Continuwuity 0.5.1, Conduit 0.10.11, Grapevine 0aae932b, and Tuwunel 1.4.9.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Unintended Proxy or Intermediary
The product receives a request, message, or directive from an upstream component, but the product does not sufficiently preserve the original source of the request before forwarding the request to an external actor that is outside of the product's control sphere.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Enforce the use of strong mutual authentication mechanism between the two parties.
- Whenever a product is an intermediary or proxy for transactions between two other components, the proxy core should not drop the identity of the initiator of the transaction. The immutability of the identity of the initiator must be maintained and should be forwarded all the way to the target.
More Unintended Proxy or Intermediary vulnerabilities (CWE-441)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Other vulnerabilities in continuwuity
- 9.9 Critical severity
Recent Unintended Proxy or Intermediary vulnerabilities
- 8.1 High severity
- 9.4 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 8.7 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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