Privilege escalation in rbacGHSA-5v95-v8c8-3rh6
HIGHFix: google/exposure-notifications-verification-server@eb8cf40GHSA-5v95-v8c8-3rh6 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.8) Improper Input Validation vulnerability in github.com/google/exposure-notifications-verification-server. A fix is available for github.com/google/exposure-notifications-verification-server — see the affected versions and patch details below.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-5v95-v8c8-3rh6 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 385,738 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
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 | 0.23.1go get github.com/google/exposure-notifications-verification-server@v0.23.1 |
Affected Products
exposure notifications verification servergoogleDetection & 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, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
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
Close the privilege gap rather than the entry point: audit which accounts, roles and service identities can reach the affected operation, drop the component to the least privilege it actually needs, and review file and directory permissions created by earlier installs — a default left in place is what makes this reachable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-5v95-v8c8-3rh6 in your dependencies?
Find it across Go, including transitive dependencies.