CVE-2023-48220: Decidim's devise_invitable gem vulnerable to circumvention of invitation token expiry period
Impact The invites feature allows users to accept the invitation for an unlimited amount of time through the password reset functionality.
When using the password reset functionality, the deviseinvitable gem always accepts the pending invitation if the user has been invited as shown in this piece of code within the deviseinvitable gem: https://github.com/scambra/deviseinvitable/blob/41f58970ff76fb64382a9b9ea1bd530f7c3adab2/lib/deviseinvitable/models.rb#L198
The only check done here is if the user has been invited but the code does not ensure that the pending invitation is still valid as defined by the invitefor expiry period as explained in the gem's documentation: https://github.com/scambra/deviseinvitable#model-configuration-
invitefor: The period the generated invitation token is valid. After this period, the invited resource won’t be able to accept the invitation. When invitefor is 0 (the default), the invitation won’t expire.
Decidim sets this configuration to 2.weeks so this configuration should be respected: https://github.com/decidim/decidim/blob/d2d390578050772d1bdb6d731395f1afc39dcbfc/decidim-core/config/initializers/devise.rb#L134
The bug is in the deviseinvitable gem and should be fixed there and the dependency should be upgraded in Decidim once the fix becomes available.
Patches Update deviseinvitable to version 2.0.9 or above by running the following command:
$ bundle update deviseinvitable
Workarounds The invitations can be cancelled directly from the database by running the following command from the Rails console:
Decidim::User.invitationnotaccepted.updateall(invitationtoken: nil)
References OWASP ASVS V4.0.3-2.3.1
This bug has existed in the deviseinvitable gem since this commit which was first included in the v0.4.rc3 release of this gem: https://github.com/scambra/deviseinvitable/commit/94d859c7de0829bf63f679ae5dd3cab2b866a098
All versions since then are affected.
This gem was first introduced at its version ~> 1.7.0 to the decidim-admin gem in this commit which was first included in the v0.0.1.alpha3 release of Decidim: https://github.com/decidim/decidim/commit/073e60e2e4224dd81815a784002ebba30f2ebb34
It was first introduced at its version ~> 1.7.0 to the decidim-system gem in this commit which was also first included in the v0.0.1.alpha3 release of Decidim: https://github.com/decidim/decidim/commit/b12800717a689c295a9ea680a38ca9f823d2c454
Credits This issue was discovered in City of Helsinki's security audit against Decidim 0.27 done during September 2023. The security audit was implemented by Deloitte Finland.
Other sources
Decidim is a participatory democracy framework. Starting in version 0.4.rc3 and prior to version 2.0.9 of the deviseinvitable gem, the invites feature allows users to accept the invitation for an unlimited amount of time through the password reset functionality. This issue creates vulnerable dependencies starting in version 0.0.1.alpha3 and prior to versions 0.26.9, 0.27.5, and 0.28.0 of the decidim, decidim-admin, and decidim-system gems. When using the password reset functionality, the deviseinvitable gem always accepts the pending invitation if the user has been invited. The only check done is if the user has been invited but the code does not ensure that the pending invitation is still valid as defined by the invitefor expiry period. Decidim sets this configuration to 2.weeks so this configuration should be respected. The bug is in the deviseinvitable gem and should be fixed there and the dependency should be upgraded in Decidim once the fix becomes available. deviseinvitable to version 2.0.9 and above fix this issue. Versions 0.26.9, 0.27.5, and 0.28.0 of the decidim, decidim-admin, and decidim-system gems contain this fix. As a workaround, invitations can be cancelled directly from the database.
— MITRE
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2023-48220?
CVE-2023-48220 is rated as a high severity vulnerability due to its potential to allow unauthorized access to user accounts through persistent invitation acceptance.
How do I fix CVE-2023-48220?
To fix CVE-2023-48220, upgrade to the latest versions of the affected packages like decidim-system, decidim-admin, decidim, and devise_invitable as specified in the advisory.
What versions are affected by CVE-2023-48220?
CVE-2023-48220 affects decidim versions between 0.27.0 and 0.27.5, as well as devise_invitable versions up to 2.0.9.
What are the potential impacts of CVE-2023-48220 exploitation?
Exploitation of CVE-2023-48220 may lead to unauthorized access where attackers can accept invitations indefinitely, compromising user accounts.
Is there a workaround for CVE-2023-48220 until a fix can be applied?
As a temporary measure for CVE-2023-48220, restricting the use of the password reset functionality or manually expiring invitations may help mitigate the risk.