CVE-2020-10793: Codeigniter4/framework CodeIgniter Improper Privilege Management Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-jwqp-wh5g-4gmm
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CVSS 8.8
CWE-269
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-10793 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.8) codeigniter improper privilege management vulnerability (CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management) affecting Codeigniter4/framework libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves codeigniter improper privilege management. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2020-10793 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-10793
GHSA Identifier GHSA-jwqp-wh5g-4gmm
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.8
CWE Classification CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management
Affected Product Codeigniter4/framework
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.8

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2020-10793

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Codeigniter4/framework dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

codeigniter4/framework fixed: Latest secure release 
Upgrade codeigniter4/framework to Latest secure release
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 codeigniter4/framework

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2020-10793, inspect your project dependencies for Codeigniter4/framework:

inspect dependencies for codeigniter4/framework

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Codeigniter4/framework in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), 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-269: Improper Privilege Management, where the product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor. In Codeigniter4/framework, 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

CodeIgniter through 4.0.0 allows remote attackers to gain privileges via a modified Email ID to the "Select Role of the User" page. NOTE: A contributor to the CodeIgniter framework argues that the issue should not be attributed to CodeIgniter. Furthermore, the blog post reference shows an unknown website built with the CodeIgniter framework but that CodeIgniter is not responsible for introducing this issue because the framework has never provided a login screen, nor any kind of login or user management facilities beyond a Session library. Also, another reporter indicates the issue is with a custom module/plugin to CodeIgniter, not CodeIgniter itself.

CVE-2020-10793 Affected Codeigniter4/framework Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
codeigniter4/framework
 Packagist
≤ 4.0.0

References

NVD — CVE-2020-10793 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-10793
codeigniter4.github.io/userguide/extending... WEB
https://codeigniter4.github.io/userguide/extending/authentication.html
Codeigniter4/framework Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/codeigniter4/framework
medium.com/@vbharad/account-ta... WEB
https://medium.com/@vbharad/account-takeover-via-modifying-email-id-codeigniter-framework-ca30741ad297

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-10793?
CVE-2020-10793 is a security vulnerability in Codeigniter4/framework involving CodeIgniter Improper Privilege Management under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management.
Which Codeigniter4/framework versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: codeigniter4/framework.
What version fixes CVE-2020-10793?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is codeigniter4/framework affected?
Yes, codeigniter4/framework is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-10793?
CVE-2020-10793 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-10793?
CVE-2020-10793 is classified under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management (The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2020-10793?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for codeigniter4/framework'. 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-jwqp-wh5g-4gmm",
  "modified" : "2024-04-24T17:49:09Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T17:12:13Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-10793" ],
  "summary" : "CodeIgniter Improper Privilege Management",
  "details" : "CodeIgniter through 4.0.0 allows remote attackers to gain privileges via a modified Email ID to the \"Select Role of the User\" page. NOTE: A contributor to the CodeIgniter framework argues that the issue should not be attributed to CodeIgniter. Furthermore, the blog post reference shows an unknown website built with the CodeIgniter framework but that CodeIgniter is not responsible for introducing this issue because the framework has never provided a login screen, nor any kind of login or user management facilities beyond a Session library. Also, another reporter indicates the issue is with a custom module/plugin to CodeIgniter, not CodeIgniter itself.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "codeigniter4/framework"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "4.0.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-10793"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://codeigniter4.github.io/userguide/extending/authentication.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/codeigniter4/framework"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://medium.com/@vbharad/account-takeover-via-modifying-email-id-codeigniter-framework-ca30741ad297"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-269" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-04-24T17:49:09Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-03-23T15:15:00Z"
  }
}