Matrix Javascript SDK is the Matrix Client-Server SDK for JavaScript. Prior to version 19.7.0, an attacker cooperating with a malicious homeserver can construct messages that legitimately appear to have come from another person, without any indication such as a grey shield. Additionally, a sophisticated attacker cooperating with a malicious homeserver could employ this vulnerability to perform a targeted attack in order to send fake to-device messages appearing to originate from another user. This can allow, for example, to inject the key backup secret during a self-verification, to make a targeted device start using a malicious key backup spoofed by the homeserver. These attacks are possible due to a protocol confusion vulnerability that accepts to-device messages encrypted with Megolm instead of Olm. Starting with version 19.7.0, matrix-js-sdk has been modified to only accept Olm-encrypted to-device messages. Out of caution, several other checks have been audited or added. This attack requires coordination between a malicious home server and an attacker, so those who trust their home servers do not need a workaround.
Weakness
When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.
Affected Software
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Javascript_sdk | Matrix | * | 19.7.0 (excluding) |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | RedHat | thunderbird-0:102.4.0-1.el7_9 | * |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | RedHat | thunderbird-0:102.4.0-1.el8_6 | * |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.1 Update Services for SAP Solutions | RedHat | thunderbird-0:102.4.0-1.el8_1 | * |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Extended Update Support | RedHat | thunderbird-0:102.4.0-1.el8_2 | * |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Extended Update Support | RedHat | thunderbird-0:102.4.0-1.el8_4 | * |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | RedHat | thunderbird-0:102.4.0-1.el9_0 | * |
| Node-matrix-js-sdk | Ubuntu | focal | * |
| Node-matrix-js-sdk | Ubuntu | kinetic | * |
| Node-matrix-js-sdk | Ubuntu | lunar | * |
| Node-matrix-js-sdk | Ubuntu | mantic | * |
| Node-matrix-js-sdk | Ubuntu | oracular | * |
| Node-matrix-js-sdk | Ubuntu | trusty | * |
| Node-matrix-js-sdk | Ubuntu | xenial | * |
| Thunderbird | Ubuntu | bionic | * |
| Thunderbird | Ubuntu | focal | * |
| Thunderbird | Ubuntu | jammy | * |
| Thunderbird | Ubuntu | kinetic | * |
| Thunderbird | Ubuntu | trusty | * |
| Thunderbird | Ubuntu | xenial | * |
Potential Mitigations
Related Attack Patterns
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/114.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/115.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/151.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/194.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/22.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/57.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/593.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/633.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/650.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/94.html
References
- https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-js-sdk/commit/a587d7c36026fe1fcf93dfff63588abee359be76
- https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-js-sdk/releases/tag/v19.7.0
- https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-js-sdk/security/advisories/GHSA-r48r-j8fx-mq2c
- https://matrix.org/blog/2022/09/28/upgrade-now-to-address-encryption-vulns-in-matrix-sdks-and-clients
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202210-35
- https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-js-sdk/commit/a587d7c36026fe1fcf93dfff63588abee359be76
- https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-js-sdk/releases/tag/v19.7.0
- https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-js-sdk/security/advisories/GHSA-r48r-j8fx-mq2c
- https://matrix.org/blog/2022/09/28/upgrade-now-to-address-encryption-vulns-in-matrix-sdks-and-clients
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202210-35