CVE-2026-48071: OpenReception's client PIN challenge throttle is keyed by emailHash only, allowing cross-tenant lockout
OpenReception's appointment booking software provides an end-to-end encrypted appointment booking platform. Prior to version 1.0.4, the PIN-type challenge throttle uses emailHash as the only key. The throttle rows live in the central challengethrottle table, which is shared across all tenants. Every tenant's /api/tenants/{id}/appointments/verify-challenge endpoint increments the same row when a PIN response fails, and every tenant's /api/tenants/{id}/appointments/challenge endpoint reads the same row when deciding whether to issue a new challenge. When the same emailHash exists in multiple tenants on the same OpenReception instance (the same patient holding tunnels in two different clinics that share the platform), an attacker who knows the patient's email can lock out that patient on tenant B by issuing failed challenge responses against tenant A. The attacker needs no relationship to tenant B; the lockout propagates through the shared throttle row. The lockout escalates with repeated failures. The first lockout triggers at 4 failed attempts and lasts approximately 60 seconds. Subsequent failures escalate the lockout duration to 5 minutes, 30 minutes, and 60 minutes per the throttle service's escalation logic. Repeated bursts produce sustained denial of service against the targeted email. Version 1.0.4 patches the issue.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
OpenReception appointment booking softwareto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 1.0.4 - Configuration
Update the PIN-type challenge throttle keying so it is not keyed by emailHash only; prior to v1.0.4 it used emailHash as the only key, which allowed cross-tenant lockout via the shared central challenge_throttle table.
OpenReception client PIN challenge throttle Throttle key = Use tenant-scoped keying (not emailHash-only)
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2026-48071?
CVE-2026-48071 has a medium severity score of 5.8.
What does CVE-2026-48071 affect?
CVE-2026-48071 affects the OpenReception appointment booking software prior to version 1.0.4.
How do I fix CVE-2026-48071?
To fix CVE-2026-48071, update the OpenReception software to version 1.0.4 or later.
What is the risk associated with CVE-2026-48071?
CVE-2026-48071 poses a risk of cross-tenant lockout due to its improper PIN challenge throttle implementation.
Who is affected by CVE-2026-48071?
All tenants using versions of OpenReception prior to 1.0.4 may be affected by CVE-2026-48071.