# CVE-2023-28628: `authority-regex` returns the wrong authority in lambdaisland/uri

> Attackers can craft URLs that bypass host restrictions by exploiting incorrect authority parsing in the lambdaisland/uri library.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 27 Mar 2023
- **Updated:** 19 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2023-28628, GHSA-cp4w-6x4w-v2h5, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-28628, USN-8151-1

## What is CVE-2023-28628?

CVE-2023-28628 is a medium-severity vulnerability in lambdaisland uri, published on 27 Mar 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

lambdaisland/uri is a pure Clojure/ClojureScript URI library. In versions prior to 1.14.120 `authority-regex` allows an attacker to send malicious URLs to be parsed by the `lambdaisland/uri` and return the wrong authority. This issue is similar to but distinct from CVE-2020-8910. The regex in question doesn't handle the backslash (`\`) character in the username correctly, leading to a wrong output. ex. a payload of `https://example.com\\@google.com` would return that the host is `google.com`, but the correct host should be `example.com`. Given that the library returns the wrong authority this may be abused to bypass host restrictions depending on how the library is used in an application. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

Weakness: CWE-601 (URL Redirection to Untrusted Site), CWE-706 (Use of Incorrectly-Resolved Name or Reference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-28628?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including lambdaisland:uri. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `lambdaisland:uri` | Maven | All versions | 1.14.120 |
| `lambdaisland:uri` | Maven | All versions | 1.14.120 |

Products: Lambdaisland Uri.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-28628?

Upgrade lambdaisland:uri to 1.14.120 or later.

## Is CVE-2023-28628 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-28628 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-28628 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-28628 is a medium-severity vulnerability in lambdaisland uri, published on 27 Mar 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-28628 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- lambdaisland:uri (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 1.14.120
- lambdaisland:uri (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 1.14.120

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-2023-28628/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28628/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-28628
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-28628
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-28628

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28628/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.