# CVE-2018-20243: Information disclosure in Apache Fineract

> Apache Fineract exposes credentials in URL parameters during POST requests, allowing attackers to intercept sensitive authentication data.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 13 Oct 2020
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5f27-8j8c-cr98

## What is CVE-2018-20243?

CVE-2018-20243 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apache Fineract, published on 13 Oct 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The implementation of POST with the username and password in the URL parameters exposed the credentials. More infomration is available in fineract jira issues 726 and 629.

Weakness: CWE-522 (Insufficiently Protected Credentials)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-20243?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Apache Fineract.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-20243?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-20243 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-20243 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-20243 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apache Fineract

- [CVE-2024-23538](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-23538/): SQL injection in Apache Fineract (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2018-11800](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-11800/): SQL injection in Apache Fineract (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-11801](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-11801/): SQL injection in Apache Fineract (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-1290](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1290/): SQL injection in Apache Fineract (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-32838](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-32838/): Apache Fineract: SQL injection vulnerabilities in offices API endpoint (critical 9.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-20243 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-20243 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apache Fineract, published on 13 Oct 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-20243 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Apache Fineract. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-20243/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-20243/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-20243
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-20243
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-20243

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-20243/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.