# CVE-2020-11093: Authorization bypass in Hyperledger Indy

> Attackers can bypass signature verification to modify other DIDs' aliases and spam the ledger, compromising decentralized identity integrity.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 24 Dec 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-wh2w-39f4-rpv2, PYSEC-2020-48

## What is CVE-2020-11093?

CVE-2020-11093 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in hyperledger indy-node, published on 24 Dec 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Hyperledger Indy Node is the server portion of a distributed ledger purpose-built for decentralized identity. In Hyperledger Indy before version 1.12.4, there is lack of signature verification on a specific transaction which enables an attacker to make certain unauthorized alterations to the ledger. Updating a DID with a nym transaction will be written to the ledger if neither ROLE or VERKEY are being changed, regardless of sender. A malicious DID with no particular role can ask an update for another DID (but cannot modify its verkey or role). This is bad because 1) Any DID can write a nym transaction to the ledger (i.e., any DID can spam the ledger with nym transactions), 2) Any DID can change any other DID's alias, 3) The update transaction modifies the ledger metadata associated with a DID.

Weakness: CWE-347 (Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-11093?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including indy-node. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `indy-node` | PyPI | All versions | 1.12.4 |
| `indy-node` | PyPI | All versions | 1.12.4 |
| `indy-node` | PyPI | All versions | 1.12.4 |

Products: Linuxfoundation Indy-Node.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-11093?

Upgrade indy-node to 1.12.4 or later.

## Is CVE-2020-11093 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-11093 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in hyperledger indy-node

- [CVE-2022-31020](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-31020/): Remote code execution in Indy's NODE_UPGRADE transaction (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2022-31006](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-31006/): Hyperledger Indy DOS vulnerability (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2020-11090](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-11090/): Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in Indy Node (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-11093 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-11093 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in hyperledger indy-node, published on 24 Dec 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-2020-11093 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- indy-node (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 1.12.4
- indy-node (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 1.12.4
- indy-node (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 1.12.4

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-2020-11093/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-11093/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-11093
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-11093
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-11093

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-11093/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.