CVE-2020-10937: Github.com/ipfs/go ipfs Access Restriction Bypass Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-r23h-3jmw-q7hr
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-284
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-10937 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) access restriction bypass vulnerability (CWE-284: Improper Access Control) affecting Github.com/ipfs/go ipfs libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves access restriction bypass in go-ipfs. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.7.0.

CVE-2020-10937 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-10937
GHSA Identifier GHSA-r23h-3jmw-q7hr
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-284: Improper Access Control
Affected Product Github.com/ipfs/go ipfs
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

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:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

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

How to Fix CVE-2020-10937

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Github.com/ipfs/go ipfs 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/ipfs/go-ipfs fixed: 0.7.0 
Upgrade github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs to 0.7.0
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/ipfs/go-ipfs

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2020-10937, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/ipfs/go ipfs:

inspect dependencies for github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/ipfs/go ipfs in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.7.0), 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-284: Improper Access Control, where the product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor. In Github.com/ipfs/go ipfs, 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

An issue was discovered in IPFS (aka go-ipfs) 0.4.23. An attacker can generate ephemeral identities (Sybils) and leverage the IPFS connection management reputation system to poison other nodes' routing tables, eclipsing the nodes that are the target of the attack from the rest of the network. Later versions, in particular go-ipfs 0.7, mitigate this.

CVE-2020-10937 Affected Github.com/ipfs/go ipfs Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.7.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs
golang/github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs
Go
< 0.7.0
0.7.0

References

NVD — CVE-2020-10937 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-10937
blog.ipfs.io/2020-10-30-dht-hard... WEB
https://blog.ipfs.io/2020-10-30-dht-hardening
graz.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/tot... WEB
https://graz.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/total-eclipse-of-the-heart-disrupting-the-interplanetary-file-sys

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-10937?
CVE-2020-10937 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/ipfs/go ipfs involving Access Restriction Bypass in go-ipfs under CWE-284: Improper Access Control.
Which Github.com/ipfs/go ipfs versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.7.0 across affected packages: github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs.
What version fixes CVE-2020-10937?
Upgrading to 0.7.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs affected?
Yes, github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs is affected in releases prior to 0.7.0. Upgrade your dependency to 0.7.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-10937?
CVE-2020-10937 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-10937?
CVE-2020-10937 is classified under CWE-284: Improper Access Control (The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2020-10937?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs'. 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
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-r23h-3jmw-q7hr",
  "modified" : "2024-04-24T20:01:46Z",
  "published" : "2024-04-24T20:01:46Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-10937" ],
  "summary" : "Access Restriction Bypass in go-ipfs",
  "details" : "An issue was discovered in IPFS (aka go-ipfs) 0.4.23. An attacker can generate ephemeral identities (Sybils) and leverage the IPFS connection management reputation system to poison other nodes' routing tables, eclipsing the nodes that are the target of the attack from the rest of the network. Later versions, in particular go-ipfs 0.7, mitigate this.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.7.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-10937"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://blog.ipfs.io/2020-10-30-dht-hardening"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://graz.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/total-eclipse-of-the-heart-disrupting-the-interplanetary-file-sys"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-284" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-04-24T20:01:46Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}