# CVE-2024-55954: OpenObserve Improper Authorization Allows Admin User to Remove Root User

> An Admin user can improperly remove Root users due to missing role checks, allowing privilege escalation and potential full control of the organization.

- **Severity:** High 8.7 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 16 Jan 2025
- **Updated:** 12 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-m8gj-6r85-3r6m

## What is CVE-2024-55954?

CVE-2024-55954 is a high-severity vulnerability in openobserve, published on 16 Jan 2025. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

OpenObserve is a cloud-native observability platform. A vulnerability in the user management endpoint `/api/{org_id}/users/{email_id}` allows an "Admin" role user to remove a "Root" user from the organization. This violates the intended privilege hierarchy, enabling a non-root user to remove the highest-privileged account. Due to insufficient role checks, the `remove_user_from_org` function does not prevent an "Admin" user from removing a "Root" user. As a result, an attacker with an "Admin" role can remove critical "Root" users, potentially gaining effective full control by eliminating the highest-privileged accounts. The `DELETE /api/{org_id}/users/{email_id}` endpoint is affected. This issue has been addressed in release version `0.14.1` and all users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication), CWE-284 (Improper Access Control), CWE-272 (Least Privilege Violation), CWE-285 (Improper Authorization), CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-55954?


## How do I fix CVE-2024-55954?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-55954 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-55954 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-55954 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-55954 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-55954 is a high-severity vulnerability in openobserve, published on 16 Jan 2025. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-55954 exists.

Affected product: openobserve. 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-2024-55954/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-55954/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-55954
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-55954
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-55954

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-55954/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.