CVE-2022-36045: Account takeover via cryptographically weak PRNG in NodeBB Forum

Published Aug 31, 2022
·
Updated

NodeBB Forum Software is powered by Node.js and supports either Redis, MongoDB, or a PostgreSQL database. It utilizes web sockets for instant interactions and real-time notifications. utils.generateUUID, a helper function available in essentially all versions of NodeBB (as far back as v1.0.1 and potentially earlier) used a cryptographically insecure Pseudo-random number generator (Math.random()), which meant that a specially crafted script combined with multiple invocations of the password reset functionality could enable an attacker to correctly calculate the reset code for an account they do not have access to. This vulnerability impacts all installations of NodeBB. The vulnerability allows for an attacker to take over any account without the involvement of the victim, and as such, the remediation should be applied immediately (either via NodeBB upgrade or cherry-pick of the specific changeset. The vulnerability has been patched in version 2.x and 1.19.x. There is no known workaround, but the patch sets listed above will fully patch the vulnerability.

Affected Software

2 affected components
nodebb Nodebb<1.19.8
nodebb Nodebb=2.0.0

Event History

Aug 31, 2022
CVE Published
via MITRE·03:10 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·03:10 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2022-36045?

CVE-2022-36045 is a vulnerability in NodeBB Forum Software that affects versions up to and exclusive of 1.19.8, and version 2.0.0.

2

What is the severity of CVE-2022-36045?

CVE-2022-36045 has a severity score of 9.8 (Critical).

3

How does CVE-2022-36045 affect NodeBB Forum Software?

CVE-2022-36045 allows an attacker to bypass input sanitization in the utils.generateUUID function, potentially leading to remote code execution.

4

How can I fix CVE-2022-36045?

To fix CVE-2022-36045, it is recommended to upgrade to a fixed version of NodeBB Forum Software. Please refer to the official NodeBB security advisories for more details and patches.

5

What are the references for CVE-2022-36045?

The references for CVE-2022-36045 are: - [GitHub Commit 1](https://github.com/NodeBB/NodeBB/commit/81e3c1ba488d03371a5ce8d0ebb5c5803026e0f9) - [GitHub Commit 2](https://github.com/NodeBB/NodeBB/commit/e802fab87f94a13f397f04cfe6068f2f7ddf7888) - [NodeBB Security Advisories](https://github.com/NodeBB/NodeBB/security/advisories/GHSA-p4cc-w597-6cpm)

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