CVE-2023-3485: Go.temporal.io/server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

LOW
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-gm2g-2xr9-pxxj
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CVSS 3.0
CWE-1188 CWE-863
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-3485 is a LOW (CVSS 3.0) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-1188: Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default) affecting Go.temporal.io/server libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves temporal server vulnerable to incorrect authorization and insecure default initialization of resource. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.20.0.

CVE-2023-3485 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-3485
GHSA Identifier GHSA-gm2g-2xr9-pxxj
Severity LOW
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 3.0
CWE Classification CWE-1188: Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default
Affected Product Go.temporal.io/server
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 3.0

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2023-3485

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

go.temporal.io/server fixed: 1.20.0 
Upgrade go.temporal.io/server to 1.20.0
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 go.temporal.io/server

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2023-3485, inspect your project dependencies for Go.temporal.io/server:

inspect dependencies for go.temporal.io/server

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Go.temporal.io/server in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.20.0), 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-1188: Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default, where the product initializes or sets a resource with a default that is intended to be changed by the product's installer, administrator, or maintainer, but the default is not secure. In Go.temporal.io/server, 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

Insecure defaults in open-source Temporal Server before version 1.20 on all platforms allows an attacker to craft a task token with access to a namespace other than the one specified in the request. Creation of this task token must be done outside of the normal Temporal server flow. It requires the namespace UUID and information from the workflow history for the target namespace. Under these conditions, it is possible to interfere with pending tasks in other namespaces, such as marking a task failed or completed. If a task is targeted for completion by the attacker, the targeted namespace must also be using the same data converter configuration as the initial, valid, namespace for the task completion payload to be decoded by workers in the target namespace.

CVE-2023-3485 Affected Go.temporal.io/server Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.20.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
go.temporal.io/server
golang/go.temporal.io/server
Go
< 1.20.0
1.20.0

References

NVD — CVE-2023-3485 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-3485
Go.temporal.io/server Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/temporalio/temporal
Go.temporal.io/server Release RELEASE
https://github.com/temporalio/temporal/releases/tag/v1.20.0

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-3485?
CVE-2023-3485 is a security vulnerability in Go.temporal.io/server involving Temporal Server vulnerable to Incorrect Authorization and Insecure Default Initialization of Resource under CWE-1188: Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default.
Which Go.temporal.io/server versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.20.0 across affected packages: go.temporal.io/server.
What version fixes CVE-2023-3485?
Upgrading to 1.20.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is go.temporal.io/server affected?
Yes, go.temporal.io/server is affected in releases prior to 1.20.0. Upgrade your dependency to 1.20.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-3485?
CVE-2023-3485 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 3.0 (LOW) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-3485?
CVE-2023-3485 is classified under CWE-1188: Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default (The product initializes or sets a resource with a default that is intended to be changed by the product's installer, administrator, or maintainer, but the default is not secure.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2023-3485?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for go.temporal.io/server'. 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-gm2g-2xr9-pxxj",
  "modified" : "2023-07-10T10:36:45Z",
  "published" : "2023-06-30T18:31:02Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-3485" ],
  "summary" : "Temporal Server vulnerable to Incorrect Authorization and Insecure Default Initialization of Resource",
  "details" : "Insecure defaults in open-source Temporal Server before version 1.20 on all platforms allows an attacker to craft a task token with access to a namespace other than the one specified in the request. Creation of this task token must be done outside of the normal Temporal server flow. It requires the namespace UUID and information from the workflow history for the target namespace. Under these conditions, it is possible to interfere with pending tasks in other namespaces, such as marking a task failed or completed.\nIf a task is targeted for completion by the attacker, the targeted namespace must also be using the same data converter configuration as the initial, valid, namespace for the task completion payload to be decoded by workers in the target namespace.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "go.temporal.io/server"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.20.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-3485"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/temporalio/temporal"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/temporalio/temporal/releases/tag/v1.20.0"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-1188", "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "LOW",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-06-30T20:25:35Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-06-30T18:15:10Z"
  }
}