GHSA-5v95-v8c8-3rh6 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.8) Improper Input Validation vulnerability in github.com/google/exposure-notifications-verification-server. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-5v95-v8c8-3rh6 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Privilege escalation in rbac
Real-World Exposure
github.com/google/exposure-notifications-verification-serverReal-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
Impact
Using a carefully crafted request or malicious proxy, a user with UserWrite permissions could create another user with higher privileges than their own due to insufficient checks on the allowed set of permissions. The event would be captured in the Event Log.
Patches
The issue has been fixed in 0.24.0 and 0.23.1.
Workarounds
For users who are unable to upgrade, we recommend auditing users who have UserWrite permissions and regularly reviewing the Event Log for malicious activity.
Kudos
Thank you to Michael Mazzolini (Ethical Hacker at WHO) for finding and disclosing this vulnerability.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/google/exposure-notifications-verification-server | all versions | 0.23.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/google/exposure-notifications-verification-server. 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/google/exposure-notifications-verification-server to 0.23.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-5v95-v8c8-3rh6 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-5v95-v8c8-3rh6 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-5v95-v8c8-3rh6. 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-5v95-v8c8-3rh6 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-5v95-v8c8-3rh6 across Go dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.