Mastodon Vulnerability: Impersonation Attacks Possible Due to Insufficient Origin Validation

CVE-2024-23832

What is CVE-2024-23832?

CVE-2024-23832 is a vulnerability in the Mastodon social network server, a widely used open-source platform that enables users to create and manage their own decentralized social media experiences. This vulnerability arises from insufficient origin validation, allowing attackers to impersonate and potentially take over remote user accounts. Organizations that rely on Mastodon for their community engagements face substantial risks if this vulnerability is exploited, including the potential for unauthorized access to user data and the disruption of services.

Technical Details

The vulnerability impacts all versions of Mastodon prior to 3.5.17, along with specific earlier versions in the 4.0.x, 4.1.x, and 4.2.x series. It specifically relates to the server's failure to adequately validate the origin of requests, which can be leveraged by attackers. With this flaw, malicious actors are able to execute impersonation attacks, enabling them to assume the identities of legitimate users and execute actions on their behalf without proper authorization.

Impact of the Vulnerability

1. Account Takeover: Attackers can impersonate any user, leading to unauthorized access to personal data, messages, and other sensitive information associated with those accounts.

2. Data Breaches: With the ability to impersonate users, attackers may exploit this to exfiltrate confidential information, potentially leading to significant privacy violations for both individuals and organizations.

3. Service Disruption: The vulnerability could allow attackers to manipulate user accounts, disrupt user interactions, or spread misinformation, severely impacting the integrity and functionality of the Mastodon platform for its users.

News Articles

Help Net Security

CVE-2024-23832

Lagging Mastodon admins urged to patch critical account takeover flaw (CVE-2024-23832) - Help Net Security

5 days after Mastodon devs released fixes for a critical account takeover vulnerability (CVE-2024-23832), 33% of servers remain vulnerable.

Beeping Computers

CVE-2024-23832

Mastodon vulnerability allows attackers to take over accounts

Mastodon, the free and open-source decentralized social networking platform, has fixed a critical vulnerability that allows attackers to impersonate and take over any remote account.

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