GHSA-3cjh-p6pw-jhv9
MEDIUMPow Mnesia cache doesn't invalidate all expired keys on startup
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Blast Radius
powReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Hex packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Use of Pow.Store.Backend.MnesiaCache is susceptible to session hijacking as expired keys are not being invalidated correctly on startup. A cache key may become expired when all Pow.Store.Backend.MnesiaCache instances have been shut down for a period that is longer than the keys' remaining TTL and the expired key won't be invalidated on startups.
Workarounds
The expired keys, including all expired sessions, can be manually invalidated by running:
:mnesia.sync_transaction(fn ->
Enum.each(:mnesia.dirty_select(Pow.Store.Backend.MnesiaCache, [{{Pow.Store.Backend.MnesiaCache, :_, :_}, [], [:"$_"]}]), fn {_, key, {_value, expire}} ->
ttl = expire - :os.system_time(:millisecond)
if ttl < 0, do: :mnesia.delete({Pow.Store.Backend.MnesiaCache, key})
end)
end)
References
https://github.com/pow-auth/pow/commit/15dc525be03c466daa5d2119ca7acdec7b24ed17 https://github.com/pow-auth/pow/issues/713 https://github.com/pow-auth/pow/pull/714
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 💧Hex | pow | ≥ 1.0.14&&< 1.0.34 | 1.0.34 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for pow. 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 pow to 1.0.34 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-3cjh-p6pw-jhv9 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 GHSA-3cjh-p6pw-jhv9 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 GHSA-3cjh-p6pw-jhv9. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-3cjh-p6pw-jhv9 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-3cjh-p6pw-jhv9 across Hex dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.