CVE-2022-39251: Matrix Javascript SDK vulnerable to Olm/Megolm protocol confusion
First published: Wed Sep 28 2022(Updated: )
Matrix Javascript SDK is the Matrix Client-Server SDK for JavaScript. Prior to version 19.7.0, an attacker cooperating with a malicious homeserver can construct messages that legitimately appear to have come from another person, without any indication such as a grey shield. Additionally, a sophisticated attacker cooperating with a malicious homeserver could employ this vulnerability to perform a targeted attack in order to send fake to-device messages appearing to originate from another user. This can allow, for example, to inject the key backup secret during a self-verification, to make a targeted device start using a malicious key backup spoofed by the homeserver. These attacks are possible due to a protocol confusion vulnerability that accepts to-device messages encrypted with Megolm instead of Olm. Starting with version 19.7.0, matrix-js-sdk has been modified to only accept Olm-encrypted to-device messages. Out of caution, several other checks have been audited or added. This attack requires coordination between a malicious home server and an attacker, so those who trust their home servers do not need a workaround.
Credit: security-advisories@github.com
| Affected Software | Affected Version | How to fix |
|---|---|---|
| Mozilla Thunderbird | <102.3.1 | 102.3.1 |
| Matrix Javascript Sdk | <19.7.0 |
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Reference Links
- https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1791765
- https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/security/advisories/mfsa2022-43/
- https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-js-sdk/commit/a587d7c36026fe1fcf93dfff63588abee359be76
- https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-js-sdk/releases/tag/v19.7.0
- https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-js-sdk/security/advisories/GHSA-r48r-j8fx-mq2c
- https://matrix.org/blog/2022/09/28/upgrade-now-to-address-encryption-vulns-in-matrix-sdks-and-clients
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202210-35
Peer vulnerabilities
(Found alongside the following vulnerabilities)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2022-39251?
CVE-2022-39251 is a vulnerability that affects Thunderbird users who use the Matrix chat protocol.
How does CVE-2022-39251 impact Thunderbird users?
CVE-2022-39251 allows an adversary to spoof historical messages from other users and exfiltrate message keys.
Which version of Thunderbird is affected by CVE-2022-39251?
Thunderbird version 102.3.1 is affected by CVE-2022-39251.
What is the severity of CVE-2022-39251?
CVE-2022-39251 has a severity rating of high with a value of 7.
How can Thunderbird users protect themselves from CVE-2022-39251?
Users should update Thunderbird to version 102.3.1 or later to protect themselves from CVE-2022-39251.
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