# CVE-2022-43685: CKAN contains Improper Authentication leading to account takeover

> Unauthenticated attackers can take over existing accounts, including superusers, by sending a user ID via HTTP POST in CKAN.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** 22 Nov 2022
- **Updated:** 29 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-m2xp-jxfg-qq6g, PYSEC-2022-42987

## What is CVE-2022-43685?

CVE-2022-43685 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in n/a, published on 22 Nov 2022. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

CKAN through 2.9.6 account takeovers by unauthenticated users when an existing user id is sent via an HTTP POST request. This allows a user to take over an existing account including superuser accounts.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-43685?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including ckan. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `ckan` | PyPI | All versions | 2.9.7 |
| `ckan` | PyPI | All versions | 2.9.7 |
| `ckan` | PyPI | All versions | 2.9.7 |

Products: Okfn Ckan.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-43685?

Upgrade ckan to 2.9.7 or later.

## Is CVE-2022-43685 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-43685 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2023-32321](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32321/): CKAN remote code execution and private information access via crafted resource ids (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-32696](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32696/): Excessive permissions for ckan user (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2023-22746](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-22746/): CKAN is vulnerable to session secret shared across instances using Docker images (high 8.6)
- [CVE-2026-42031](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-42031/): CKAN: Unauthenticated SQL Injection and Authorization Bypass in `datastore_search_sql` (high 8.3)
- [CVE-2024-41675](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-41675/): CKAN has a Cross-site Scripting vector in the Datatables view plugin (medium 6.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-43685 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-43685 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in n/a, published on 22 Nov 2022. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-43685 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- ckan (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.9.7
- ckan (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.9.7
- ckan (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.9.7

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-2022-43685/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-43685/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-43685
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-43685
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-43685

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-43685/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.