CVE-2024-38351: Github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase PocketBase Performs Password Auth And Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-m93w-4fxv-r35v
CVSS 5.4
CWE-287
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2024-38351 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.4) pocketbase performs password auth and vulnerability (CWE-287: Improper Authentication) affecting Github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves pocketbase performs password auth and oauth2 unverified email linking. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.22.14.

CVE-2024-38351 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2024-38351
GHSA Identifier GHSA-m93w-4fxv-r35v
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.4
CWE Classification CWE-287: Improper Authentication
Affected Product Github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.4

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2024-38351

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase fixed: 0.22.14
Upgrade github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase to 0.22.14
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:

inspect dependencies for github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2024-38351, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase:

inspect dependencies for github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.22.14), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-287: Improper Authentication, where when an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct. In Github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

**In order to be exploited you must have both OAuth2 and Password auth methods enabled.** A possible attack scenario could be: - a malicious actor register with the targeted user's email (it is unverified) - at some later point in time the targeted user stumble on your app and decides to sign-up with OAuth2 (_this step could be also initiated by the attacker by sending an invite email to the targeted user_) - on successful OAuth2 auth we search for an existing PocketBase user matching with the OAuth2 user's email and associate them - because we haven't changed the password of the existing PocketBase user during the linking, the malicious actor has access to the targeted user account and will be able to login with the initially created email/password To prevent this for happening we now reset the password for this specific case if the previously created user wasn't verified (an exception to this is if the linking is explicit/manual, aka. when you send `Authorization:TOKEN` with the OAuth2 auth call). Additionally to warn existing users we now send an email alert in case the user has logged in with password but has at least one OAuth2 account linked. It looks something like: _Hello, Just to let you know that someone has logged in to your Acme account using a password while you already have OAuth2 GitLab auth linked. If you have recently signed in with a password, you may disregard this email. **If you don't recognize the above action, you should immediately change your Acme account password.** Thanks, Acme team_ The flow will be further improved with the [ongoing refactoring](https://github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase/discussions/4355) and we will start sending emails for "unrecognized device" logins (OTP and MFA is already implemented and will be available with the next v0.23.0 release in the near future).

CVE-2024-38351 Affected Github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.22.14
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase
Go
< 0.22.14
0.22.14

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-38351?
CVE-2024-38351 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase involving PocketBase performs password auth and OAuth2 unverified email linking under CWE-287: Improper Authentication.
Which Github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.22.14 across affected packages: github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase.
What version fixes CVE-2024-38351?
Upgrading to 0.22.14 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase affected?
Yes, github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase is affected in releases prior to 0.22.14. Upgrade your dependency to 0.22.14 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2024-38351?
CVE-2024-38351 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.4 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2024-38351?
CVE-2024-38351 is classified under CWE-287: Improper Authentication (When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2024-38351?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-m93w-4fxv-r35v",
  "modified" : "2024-07-05T21:42:20Z",
  "published" : "2024-06-18T20:29:33Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2024-38351" ],
  "summary" : "PocketBase performs password auth and OAuth2 unverified email linking",
  "details" : "**In order to be exploited you must have both OAuth2 and Password auth methods enabled.**\n\nA possible attack scenario could be:\n- a malicious actor register with the targeted user's email (it is unverified)\n- at some later point in time the targeted user stumble on your app and decides to sign-up with OAuth2 (_this step could be also initiated by the attacker by sending an invite email to the targeted user_) \n- on successful OAuth2 auth we search for an existing PocketBase user matching with the OAuth2 user's email and associate them\n- because we haven't changed the password of the existing PocketBase user during the linking, the malicious actor has access to the targeted user account and will be able to login with the initially created email/password\n\nTo prevent this for happening we now reset the password for this specific case if the previously created user wasn't verified (an exception to this is if the linking is explicit/manual, aka. when you send `Authorization:TOKEN` with the OAuth2 auth call).\n\nAdditionally to warn existing users we now send an email alert in case the user has logged in with password but has at least one OAuth2 account linked. It looks something like:\n\n_Hello,\nJust to let you know that someone has logged in to your Acme account using a password while you already have OAuth2 GitLab auth linked.\nIf you have recently signed in with a password, you may disregard this email.\n**If you don't recognize the above action, you should immediately change your Acme account password.**\nThanks,\nAcme team_\n\nThe flow will be further improved with the [ongoing refactoring](https://github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase/discussions/4355) and we will start sending emails for \"unrecognized device\" logins (OTP and MFA is already implemented and will be available with the next v0.23.0 release in the near future).\n\n",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.22.14"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase/security/advisories/GHSA-m93w-4fxv-r35v"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-38351"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase/commit/58ace5d5e7b9b979490019cf8d1b88491e5daec5"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase/discussions/4355"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-287" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-06-18T20:29:33Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2024-06-18T17:15:52Z"
  }
}