Resource exhaustion in Joinmastodon Mastodon
CVE-2023-36461
Mastodon is a free, open-source social network server based on ActivityPub. When performing outgoing HTTP queries, Mastodon sets a timeout on individual read operations. Prior to versions 3.5.9, 4.0.5, and 4.1.3, a malicious server can indefinitely extend the duration of the response through slowloris-type attacks. This vulnerability can be used to keep all Mastodon workers busy for an extended duration of time, leading to the server becoming unresponsive. Versions 3.5.9, 4.0.5, and 4.1.3 contain a patch for this issue.
EPSS: 0.013 (68.7th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 7.5 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
Affected products
- Joinmastodon Mastodon
- Mastodon — versions < 3.5.9, >= 4.0.0, < 4.0.5, >= 4.1.0, < 4.1.3
Weakness classification (CWE)
Public proof-of-concept exploits
References
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_CONFIRM, Third Party Advisory)
- security-advisories@github.com (Patch, Third Party Advisory, x_refsource_MISC)
- security-advisories@github.com (Third Party Advisory, x_refsource_MISC)
- security-advisories@github.com (Third Party Advisory, x_refsource_MISC)
- security-advisories@github.com (Third Party Advisory, x_refsource_MISC)
- security-advisories@github.com (Mailing List)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2023-36461?
- CVE-2023-36461 is a high-severity vulnerability in Joinmastodon Mastodon, classified under Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling. CVSS score: 7.5/10. Published 2023-07-06.
- How severe is CVE-2023-36461?
- High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.5 out of 10.
- Is CVE-2023-36461 known to be exploited?
- 1 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.