# GHSA-mhgm-52vg-pvvc: Privilege escalation in Strongbox

> An attacker with read-only access can craft valid encrypted secrets to escalate privileges or modify data if write access to storage is also available.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 16 Feb 2023

## What is GHSA-mhgm-52vg-pvvc?

GHSA-mhgm-52vg-pvvc is a vulnerability in com.schibsted.security:strongbox-sdk, published on 16 Feb 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

### Impact
An attacker with read-only access to a Strongbox secret could craft a valid encrypted secret (same id/version). It also makes the audit logs from KMS less useful. The issue is caused by a bug in the underlying AWS Encryption SDK.

By default, the encrypted secrets are stored in DynamoDB and an attacker with read-only access would not be able to write the encrypted secret to DynamoDB. So in practice the impact should be limited for most users.

Strongbox supports storing data in files as an alternative to DynamoDB. If the attacker had write access to where the files are stored they could make the attack work end-to-end. Similarly, any custom storage backend could also be affected.

In order to be backwards compatible Strongbox will not make use of key commitments (another improvement to the AWS Encryption SDK). Strongbox enforces that only one KMS key can be used, and it must match the expected one. This means that an attacker needs write access to both KMS and DynamoDB (or other storage backend) to stage an attack, which is not a scenario Strongbox is designed to protect against.

### Patches
Fixed in version 0.5.0.

### Workarounds
None

### References
- https://github.com/aws/aws-encryption-sdk-java/security/advisories/GHSA-55xh-53m6-936r
- https://docs.aws.amazon.com/encryption-sdk/latest/developer-guide/concepts.html#key-commitment

## Which versions are affected by GHSA-mhgm-52vg-pvvc?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including com.schibsted.security:strongbox-sdk.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `com.schibsted.security:strongbox-sdk` | Maven | All versions | 0.5.0 |
| `com.schibsted.security:strongbox-sdk` | Maven | All versions | 0.5.0 |

## How do I fix GHSA-mhgm-52vg-pvvc?

Upgrade com.schibsted.security:strongbox-sdk to 0.5.0 or later.

## Is GHSA-mhgm-52vg-pvvc being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of GHSA-mhgm-52vg-pvvc in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for GHSA-mhgm-52vg-pvvc and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: GHSA-mhgm-52vg-pvvc is a vulnerability in com.schibsted.security:strongbox-sdk, published on 16 Feb 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of GHSA-mhgm-52vg-pvvc in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- com.schibsted.security:strongbox-sdk (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 0.5.0
- com.schibsted.security:strongbox-sdk (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 0.5.0

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/GHSA-mhgm-52vg-pvvc/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/GHSA-mhgm-52vg-pvvc/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-mhgm-52vg-pvvc

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/GHSA-mhgm-52vg-pvvc/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.