CVE-2022-36045 Account takeover via cryptographically weak PRNG in NodeBB Forum
Attackers can take over any account by predicting password reset codes due to insecure random number generation in NodeBB.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2022-36045?
CVE-2022-36045 is a critical vulnerability in NodeBB, published on 31 Aug 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
NodeBB Forum Software is powered by Node.js and supports either Redis, MongoDB, or a PostgreSQL database. It utilizes web sockets for instant interactions and real-time notifications. `utils.generateUUID`, a helper function available in essentially all versions of NodeBB (as far back as v1.0.1 and potentially earlier) used a cryptographically insecure Pseudo-random number generator (`Math.random()`), which meant that a specially crafted script combined with multiple invocations of the password reset functionality could enable an attacker to correctly calculate the reset code for an account they do not have access to. This vulnerability impacts all installations of NodeBB. The vulnerability allows for an attacker to take over any account without the involvement of the victim, and as such, the remediation should be applied immediately (either via NodeBB upgrade or cherry-pick of the specific changeset. The vulnerability has been patched in version 2.x and 1.19.x. There is no known workaround, but the patch sets listed above will fully patch the vulnerability.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-36045?
4 open source packages ship an affected version, including nodebb. It affects 1 product.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
nodebb npm | All versions | 1.19.8 |
nodebb npm | All versions | 1.19.8 |
nodebb npm | From 2.0.0 | 2.0.1 |
nodebb npm | From 2.0.0 | 2.0.1 |
Products include Nodebb Nodebb.
How do I fix CVE-2022-36045?
Upgrade nodebb to a fixed version for your release line: 1.19.8 or 2.0.1.
Is CVE-2022-36045 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-36045 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in NodeBB
Sources
Also known as GHSA-p4cc-w597-6cpm.