GHSA-p9w4-585h-g3c7

Suggest an improvement
Source
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-p9w4-585h-g3c7
Import Source
https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2024/07/GHSA-p9w4-585h-g3c7/GHSA-p9w4-585h-g3c7.json
JSON Data
https://api.osv.dev/v1/vulns/GHSA-p9w4-585h-g3c7
Aliases
Published
2024-07-31T21:15:41Z
Modified
2024-10-08T04:27:03.437337Z
Severity
  • 3.0 (Low) CVSS_V3 - CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N CVSS Calculator
  • 2.1 (Low) CVSS_V4 - CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:H/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:L/SA:N CVSS Calculator
Summary
biscuit-auth vulnerable to public key confusion in third party block
Details

Third-party blocks can be generated without transferring the whole token to the third-party authority. Instead, a ThirdPartyBlock request can be sent, providing only the necessary info to generate a third-party block and to sign it:

  • the public key of the previous block (used in the signature)
  • the public keys part of the token symbol table (for public key interning in datalog expressions)

A third-part block request forged by a malicious user can trick the third-party authority into generating datalog trusting the wrong keypair.

Consider the following example (nominal case)

  • Authority A emits the following token: check if thirdparty("b") trusting ${pubkeyB}
  • The well-behaving holder then generates a third-party block request based on the token and sends it to third-party authority B
  • Third-party B generates the following third-party block thirdparty("b"); check if thirdparty("c") trusting ${pubkeyC}
  • The token holder now must obtain a third-party block from third party C to be able to use the token

Now, with a malicious user: - Authority A emits the following token: check if thirdparty("b") trusting ${pubkeyB} - The holder then attenuates the token with the following third party block thirdparty("c"), signed with a keypair pubkeyD, privkeyD) they generate - The holder then generates a third-party block request based on this token, but alter the ThirdPartyBlockRequest publicKeys field and replace pubkeyD with pubkeyC - Third-party B generates the following third-party block thirdparty("b"); check if thirdparty("c") trusting ${pubkeyC} - Due to the altered symbol table, the actual meaning of the block is thirdparty("b"); check if thirdparty("c") trusting ${pubkeyD} - The attacker can now use the token without obtaining a third-party block from C.

Impact

Tokens with third-party blocks containing trusted annotations generated through a third party block request

Database specific
{
    "nvd_published_at": "2024-08-01T22:15:28Z",
    "cwe_ids": [
        "CWE-269"
    ],
    "severity": "LOW",
    "github_reviewed": true,
    "github_reviewed_at": "2024-07-31T21:15:41Z"
}
References

Affected packages

crates.io / biscuit-auth

Package

Affected ranges

Type
SEMVER
Events
Introduced
4.0.0
Fixed
5.0.0