CVE-2023-3485 | Insecure Default Authorization in Temporal Server

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.

Published: 2023-06-30 Last update: 2026-06-17 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2023-3485 is rated Low Risk (13.9/100): CVSS Low severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.16%). Mandatory action: Low composite risk—no urgent action required; patch on your normal maintenance cycle and revisit priority if CVSS or EPSS increases.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2023-3485

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 0.02% 0.16% +0.14%
2 2025-11-21 0.05% 0.02% -0.03%
3 2025-11-18 0.05%

Full EPSS history (8 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2023-3485

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
3.0 3.1 LOW
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:L)
They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
Attack complexity (AC:H)
Even with access, the exploit needs extra luck, timing, or a fussy environment to actually work.
Privileges required (PR:H)
They need powerful rights—admin, root, or similar—before this pays off.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:N)
Doesn’t really leak secrets in a meaningful way.
Integrity (I:L)
Attackers could change some data, but it’s limited—not everything goes.
Availability (A:L)
Might cause slowdowns, glitches, or partial disruption—not a full brick.
0.5 2.5 [email protected]
3.6 3.1 LOW
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:L)
They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
Attack complexity (AC:H)
Even with access, the exploit needs extra luck, timing, or a fussy environment to actually work.
Privileges required (PR:L)
A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:N)
Doesn’t really leak secrets in a meaningful way.
Integrity (I:L)
Attackers could change some data, but it’s limited—not everything goes.
Availability (A:L)
Might cause slowdowns, glitches, or partial disruption—not a full brick.
1.0 2.5 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2023-3485

GitHub Security Advisory for CVE-2023-3485

GHSA-gm2g-2xr9-pxxj · Severity: low · Ecosystem: go — Temporal Server vulnerable to Incorrect Authorization and Insecure Default Initialization of Resource

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2023-3485

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
temporal temporal < 1.20.0 cpe:2.3:a:temporal:temporal:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2023-3485

cvelogic Threat Intelligence