# CVE-2023-46740: Insecure random string generator used for sensitive data

> Attackers can predict user access keys due to insecure random generation, allowing them to impersonate users and gain higher privileges in CubeFS deployments.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 3 Jan 2024
- **Updated:** 17 Jun 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-4248-p65p-hcrm, GO-2024-2431

## What is CVE-2023-46740?

CVE-2023-46740 is a medium-severity vulnerability in cubefs, published on 3 Jan 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

CubeFS is an open-source cloud-native file storage system. Prior to version 3.3.1, CubeFS used an insecure random string generator to generate user-specific, sensitive keys used to authenticate users in a CubeFS deployment. This could allow an attacker to predict and/or guess the generated string and impersonate a user thereby obtaining higher privileges. When CubeFS creates new users, it creates a piece of sensitive information for the user called the “accessKey”. To create the "accesKey", CubeFS uses an insecure string generator which makes it easy to guess and thereby impersonate the created user. An attacker could leverage the predictable random string generator and guess a users access key and impersonate the user to obtain higher privileges. The issue has been fixed in v3.3.1. There is no other mitigation than to upgrade.

Weakness: CWE-330 (Use of Insufficiently Random Values)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-46740?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/cubefs/cubefs. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `github.com/cubefs/cubefs` | Go | All versions | None |
| `github.com/cubefs/cubefs` | Go | All versions | 3.3.1 |
| `github.com/cubefs/cubefs` | Go | All versions | 3.3.1 |

Products: Linuxfoundation Cubefs.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-46740?

Upgrade github.com/cubefs/cubefs to 3.3.1 or later.

## Is CVE-2023-46740 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-46740 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in cubefs

- [CVE-2023-46738](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46738/): Authenticated users can crash the CubeFS servers with maliciously crafted requests (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2023-46739](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46739/): Timing attack can leak user passwords (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2023-30512](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-30512/): CubeFS allows Kubernetes cluster-level privilege escalation (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2023-46741](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46741/): CubeFS leaks magic secret key when starting Blobstore access service (medium 4.8)
- [CVE-2023-46742](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46742/): CubeFS leaks users key in logs (medium 4.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-46740 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-46740 is a medium-severity vulnerability in cubefs, published on 3 Jan 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-46740 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- github.com/cubefs/cubefs (Go): affected all versions; no fix listed
- github.com/cubefs/cubefs (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 3.3.1
- github.com/cubefs/cubefs (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 3.3.1

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-2023-46740/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46740/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-46740
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-46740
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-46740

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46740/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.