# CVE-2020-27831: Missing authorization in quay

> Attackers can add unauthorized email addresses to repository notifications due to improper authorization token protection in Red Hat Quay.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/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:** No
- **Published:** 26 May 2021
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-3mxm-3qx9-6gq2

## What is CVE-2020-27831?

CVE-2020-27831 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in quay, published on 26 May 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A flaw was found in Red Hat Quay, where it does not properly protect the authorization token when authorizing email addresses for repository email notifications. This flaw allows an attacker to add email addresses they do not own to repository notifications.

Weakness: CWE-522 (Insufficiently Protected Credentials), CWE-284 (Improper Access Control)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-27831?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Redhat Quay.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-27831?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-27831 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-27831 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-27831 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in quay

- [CVE-2020-27832](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-27832/): Cross-site scripting in quay (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2025-4374](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-4374/): Quay: incorrect privilege assignment (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2023-4956](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4956/): Quay: clickjacking on config-editor page severity (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2023-4959](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4959/): Quay: cross-site request forgery (csrf) on config-editor page (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2019-10205](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-10205/): Information disclosure in quay (medium 6.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-27831 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-27831 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in quay, published on 26 May 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-27831 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: quay. 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-2020-27831/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-27831/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-27831
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-27831
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-27831

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-27831/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.