# CVE-2020-15251: Privilege Escalation in Channelmgnt plug-in for Sopel

> Malicious users can bypass ACLs to gain operator or voice status and take over IRC channels in the Sopel Channelmgnt plugin.

- **Severity:** High 7.7 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 13 Oct 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-23pc-4339-95vg, GHSA-j257-jfvv-h3x5, PYSEC-2020-110, UBUNTU-CVE-2020-15251

## What is CVE-2020-15251?

CVE-2020-15251 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in MirahezeBots sopel-channelmgnt, published on 13 Oct 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Channelmgnt plug-in for Sopel (a Python IRC bot) before version 1.0.3, malicious users are able to op/voice and take over a channel. This is an ACL bypass vulnerability. This plugin is bundled with MirahezeBot-Plugins with versions from 9.0.0 and less than 9.0.2 affected. Version 9.0.2 includes 1.0.3 of channelmgnt, and thus is safe from this vulnerability. See referenced GHSA-23pc-4339-95vg.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-15251?

4 open source packages ship an affected version, including sopel-plugins-channelmgnt and sopel_plugins.channelmgnt. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `sopel-plugins-channelmgnt` | PyPI | All versions | 1.0.3 |
| `sopel-plugins-channelmgnt` | PyPI | All versions | 1.0.3 |
| `sopel-plugins-channelmgnt` | PyPI | All versions | 1.0.3 |
| `sopel_plugins.channelmgnt` | PyPI | All versions | 1.0.3 |

Products: Mirahezebots Channelmgnt.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-15251?

Upgrade sopel-plugins-channelmgnt to 1.0.3 or later.

## Is CVE-2020-15251 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-15251 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in MirahezeBots sopel-channelmgnt

- [CVE-2021-21431](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-21431/): Improper Input Validation in sopel-plugins.channelmgnt (high 7.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-15251 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-15251 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in MirahezeBots sopel-channelmgnt, published on 13 Oct 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-15251 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- sopel-plugins-channelmgnt (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 1.0.3
- sopel-plugins-channelmgnt (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 1.0.3
- sopel-plugins-channelmgnt (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 1.0.3
- sopel_plugins.channelmgnt (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 1.0.3

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-2020-15251/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-15251/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-15251
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-15251
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-15251

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-15251/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.