# CVE-2023-3485: Insecure Default Authorization in Temporal Server

> Attackers can craft task tokens to interfere with pending tasks in other namespaces, potentially marking them failed or completed.

- **Severity:** Low 3.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 30 Jun 2023
- **Updated:** 28 Oct 2024
- **Also known as:** BIT-temporal-2023-3485, ECHO-0d64-2252-d1af, GHSA-gm2g-2xr9-pxxj, GO-2023-1879, MINI-2xxm-ppwm-fr8c, MINI-j9rf-3c8f-mwv3

## What is CVE-2023-3485?

CVE-2023-3485 is a low-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Temporal Server, published on 30 Jun 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Insecure defaults in open-source Temporal Server before version 1.20 on all platforms allows an attacker to craft a task token with access to a namespace other than the one specified in the request. Creation of this task token must be done outside of the normal Temporal server flow. It requires the namespace UUID and information from the workflow history for the target namespace. Under these conditions, it is possible to interfere with pending tasks in other namespaces, such as marking a task failed or completed.
If a task is targeted for completion by the attacker, the targeted namespace must also be using the same data converter configuration as the initial, valid, namespace for the task completion payload to be decoded by workers in the target namespace.

Weakness: CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization), CWE-1188 (Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-3485?

4 open source packages ship an affected version, including go.temporal.io/server and temporal. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `go.temporal.io/server` | Go | All versions | 1.20.0 |
| `go.temporal.io/server` | Go | All versions | 1.20.0 |
| `go.temporal.io/server` | Go | All versions | 1.20.0 |
| `temporal` | Bitnami | All versions | 1.20.0 |

Products: Temporal Temporal.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-3485?

Upgrade go.temporal.io/server to 1.20.0 or later.

## Is CVE-2023-3485 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-3485 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-3485 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-3485 is a low-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Temporal Server, published on 30 Jun 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-3485 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- go.temporal.io/server (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 1.20.0
- go.temporal.io/server (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 1.20.0
- go.temporal.io/server (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 1.20.0
- temporal (Bitnami): affected all versions; fixed in 1.20.0

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-2023-3485/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3485/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-3485
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-3485
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-3485

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3485/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.