CVE-2023-32323: Matrix synapse Synapse Outgoing Federation To Specific Vulnerability

{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-f3wc-3vxv-xmvr",
  "modified" : "2025-02-13T18:54:39Z",
  "published" : "2023-05-24T17:28:26Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-32323" ],
  "summary" : "Synapse Outgoing federation to specific hosts can be disabled by sending malicious invites",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nA malicious user on a Synapse homeserver X with permission to create certain state events can disable outbound federation from X to an arbitrary homeserver Y.\n\nSynapse instances with federation disabled are not affected.\n\n#### Details\n\nThe Matrix protocol allows homeservers to provide an `invite_room_state` field on a [room invite](https://spec.matrix.org/v1.5/client-server-api/#mroommember) containing a [summary of room state](https://spec.matrix.org/v1.5/client-server-api/#stripped-state).  In versions of Synapse up to and including v1.73.0, Synapse did not limit the size of `invite_room_state`, meaning that it was possible to create an arbitrarily large invite event.\n\nAn attacker with an account on a vulnerable Synapse homeserver X could exploit this by having X create an over-sized invite event in a room with a user from another homeserver Y. Once acknowledged by the invitee's homeserver, the invite event would be sent in a batch of events to Y. If the malicious invite is so large that the entire batch is rejected as too large, X's outgoing traffic to Y would become \"stuck\", meaning that messages and state events created by X would remain unseen by Y.\n\n### Patches\n\nSynapse 1.74 refuses to create oversized `invite_room_state` fields. Server operators should upgrade to Synapse 1.74 or newer urgently.\n\n### Workarounds\n\nThere are no robust workarounds.\n\nThis attack needs an account on Synapse homeserver X to deny federation from X to another homeserver Y. As a partial mitigation, Synapse operators can disable open registration to limit the ability of attackers to create new accounts on homeserver X.\n\nIf homeserver X has been attacked in this way, restarting it will resume outgoing federation by entering \"catchup mode\". For catchup mode to ignore the oversized invites, every attacked room must have a correctly-sized event sent by X which is newer than any oversized invite. This is difficult to arrange, and does not prevent the attacker from repeating their attack.\n\n### References\n\n- https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/issues/14492 was caused by this issue.\n- https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/issues/14642  includes the patch described above.\n\n### For more information\n\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory, e-mail us at [security@matrix.org](mailto:security@matrix.org).",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:L"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "matrix-synapse"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.74.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/security/advisories/GHSA-f3wc-3vxv-xmvr"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-32323"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/issues/14492"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/pull/14642"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/matrix-synapse/PYSEC-2023-67.yaml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/UJIJRP5ZH6B3KGFLHCAKR2IX2Y4Z25QD"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-05-24T17:28:26Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-05-26T14:15:10Z"
  }
}