matrix-js-sdk will freeze when a user sets a room with itself as a its predecessor

CVE-2024-42369 → View on GitHub ↗ View on CVE.org ↗ View on NVD ↗

Description

Impact

A malicious homeserver can craft a room or room structure such that the predecessors form a cycle. The matrix-js-sdk's getRoomUpgradeHistory function will infinitely recurse in this case, causing the code to hang. This method is public but also called by the 'leaveRoomChain()' method, so leaving a room will also trigger the bug.

Even if the CVSS score would be 4.1 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:L) we classify this as High severity issue.

Patches

This was patched in matrix-js-sdk 34.3.1.

Workarounds

Sanity check rooms before passing them to the matrix-js-sdk or avoid calling either getRoomUpgradeHistory or leaveRoomChain.

References

N/A.

Basic information

Type
reviewed
Severity
medium
Advisory on GitHub
Open advisory ↗
Repository advisory
Open repository advisory ↗
Source code
Browse source ↗
Published (advisory)
2024-08-20 18:35:27 UTC
Updated
2024-08-20 18:35:28 UTC
GitHub reviewed
2024-08-20 18:35:27 UTC
NVD published
2024-08-20

EPSS Score

Score Percentile
0.21% 42.52%

CVSS Scores

Base score Version Severity Vector
4.1 3.1 —
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:L Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:L)
A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
User interaction (UI:R)
A real person has to do something—click, install, enable—otherwise it doesn’t land.
Scope (S:C)
Breaking this can reach past the original component and bite other resources—bigger blast radius.
Confidentiality (C:N)
Doesn’t really leak secrets in a meaningful way.
Integrity (I:N)
Data isn’t meaningfully altered or forged.
Availability (A:L)
Might cause slowdowns, glitches, or partial disruption—not a full brick.
5.1 4.0 —
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:L Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Exploitation conditions are straightforward and stable.
Attack requirements (AT:N)
No additional preconditions are required beyond normal reachability.
Privileges required (PR:L)
Low privileges are required.
User interaction (UI:P)
A user has to participate (for example click/open/approve).
Vulnerable system confidentiality impact (VC:N)
No confidentiality impact on the vulnerable system.
Vulnerable system integrity impact (VI:N)
No integrity impact on the vulnerable system.
Vulnerable system availability impact (VA:L)
Limited availability impact on the vulnerable system.
Subsequent system confidentiality impact (SC:N)
No confidentiality impact on subsequent systems.
Subsequent system integrity impact (SI:N)
No integrity impact on subsequent systems.
Subsequent system availability impact (SA:L)
Limited availability impact on subsequent systems.

Identifiers

Type Value
GHSA GHSA-vhr5-g3pm-49fm ↗
CVE CVE-2024-42369 ↗

CWEs

CWE id Name
CWE-674 Uncontrolled Recursion

Credits

  • morguldir (reporter)

Affected packages (1)

Vulnerable version ranges and first patched releases as published by GitHub.

Ecosystem Package Vulnerable range First patched Vulnerable functions
npm matrix-js-sdk < 34.3.1 34.3.1 —

References

cvelogic Threat Intelligence