# CVE-2023-5840: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password in linkstackorg/linkstack

> Attackers can bypass password recovery mechanisms to take over user accounts in LinkStack web applications.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/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:** No
- **Published:** 29 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 6 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-cxh2-hxrp-wmgx

## What is CVE-2023-5840?

CVE-2023-5840 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in linkstackorg/linkstack, published on 29 Oct 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

Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password in GitHub repository linkstackorg/linkstack prior to v4.2.9.

Weakness: CWE-640 (Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-5840?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linkstack Linkstack.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-5840?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-5840 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-5840 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-5840 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in linkstackorg/linkstack

- [CVE-2024-35451](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-35451/): Server-side request forgery in n/a (medium 4.8)
- [CVE-2023-5838](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5838/): Insufficient Session Expiration in linkstackorg/linkstack (medium 4.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-5840 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-5840 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in linkstackorg/linkstack, published on 29 Oct 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-2023-5840 exists.

Affected product: linkstackorg/linkstack. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

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-2023-5840/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5840/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-5840
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-5840
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-5840

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5840/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.