# CVE-2020-22784: Auth bypass in n/a

> Attackers can bypass access controls on key names in Etherpad UeberDB by exploiting MySQL's trailing space handling in string comparisons.

- **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:** No
- **Published:** 28 Apr 2021
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5qr5-m9m2-vfx5

## What is CVE-2020-22784?

CVE-2020-22784 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in n/a, published on 28 Apr 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In Etherpad UeberDB < 0.4.4, due to MySQL omitting trailing spaces on char / varchar columns during comparisons, retrieving database records using UeberDB's MySQL connector could allow bypassing access controls enforced on key names.

Weakness: CWE-697 (Incorrect Comparison)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-22784?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Etherpad Ueberdb.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-22784?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-22784 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-22784 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-22784 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-22784 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-22784 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in n/a, published on 28 Apr 2021. 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-2020-22784 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2020-22784/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-22784/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-22784
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-22784
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-22784

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-22784/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.