GHSA-6x2c-phff-wx57 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.1) Information Exposure vulnerability in github.com/QuantumNous/new-api. A fix is available for github.com/QuantumNous/new-api — see the affected versions and patch details below.
New API: User List API Leaks Root User Access Token Leading to Privilege Escalation
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-6x2c-phff-wx57.
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.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-6x2c-phff-wx57 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,333 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
github.com/QuantumNous/new-apiReal-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
Vulnerability Information
- Product: new-api
- Affected versions: versions before
v1.0.0-rc.7that serializeUser.AccessTokenasaccess_token; the issue was confirmed inv0.12.14 - Patched version:
v1.0.0-rc.7 - Fixed commit:
0936e2504655a5cbf7bc3c388f6d3e2bb24916d3 - Type: Information Disclosure / Privilege Escalation
Description
In affected versions of new-api, the admin user list and user lookup APIs can return the access_token field for users, including the root user. An authenticated admin user can call endpoints such as GET /api/user/ to retrieve user records. Because access tokens function as bearer credentials for API authentication, leaking the root user's access token allows an admin user to authenticate as root and access root-only endpoints such as system configuration APIs.
This bypasses the intended role boundary between admin users and the root user and can result in privilege escalation to full system control.
Root Cause
The User.AccessToken field was serialized as json:"access_token" in affected versions. User management APIs returned User model objects directly after omitting only the password field from database queries, so JSON serialization could include access_token in API responses.
Affected code patterns include user list, user search, and user detail paths that use Omit("password") without preventing access_token from being serialized.
Impact
- An authenticated admin user may obtain the root user's access token.
- The attacker may impersonate the root user and access root-only APIs.
- The attacker may modify system settings, payment settings, OAuth/SMTP-related configuration, and other sensitive platform options.
- Access tokens for other users may also be exposed, enabling user impersonation.
Remediation
Upgrade to v1.0.0-rc.7 or later. The fix changes User.AccessToken to use json:"-", preventing the field from being serialized in API responses.
Operators should also rotate any root or user access tokens that may have been exposed before upgrading, especially if untrusted admin users had access to user management APIs.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/QuantumNous/new-api | all versions | 1.0.0-rc.7go get github.com/QuantumNous/new-api@v1.0.0-rc.7 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/QuantumNous/new-api, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/QuantumNous/new-api to 1.0.0-rc.7 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-6x2c-phff-wx57 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 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-6x2c-phff-wx57 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-6x2c-phff-wx57. 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-6x2c-phff-wx57 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-6x2c-phff-wx57 across Go dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.