CVE-2024-46989 is a low-severity (CVSS 3.7) Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in github.com/authzed/spicedb. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2024-46989 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Multiple caveats on resources of the same type can result in no permission when permission is expected
Real-World Exposure
github.com/authzed/spicedbReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Go packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
spicedb is an Open Source, Google Zanzibar-inspired permissions database to enable fine-grained authorization for customer applications. Multiple caveats over the same indirect subject type on the same relation can result in no permission being returned when permission is expected. If the resource has multiple groups, and each group is caveated, it is possible for the returned permission to be "no permission" when permission is expected. Permission is returned as NO_PERMISSION when PERMISSION is expected on the CheckPermission API. This issue has been addressed in release version 1.35.3. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade should not use caveats or avoid the use of caveats on an indirect subject type with multiple entries.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/authzed/spicedb | all versions | 1.35.3 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/authzed/spicedb. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update github.com/authzed/spicedb to 1.35.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2024-46989 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2024-46989 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2024-46989. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2024-46989 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2024-46989 across Go dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.