GHSA-fx5p-f64h-93xc — go-ipfs
Fix: ipfs/go-ipfs#8773GHSA-fx5p-f64h-93xc is a security vulnerability in github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs. A fix is available for github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Opened exploitable ports in default docker-compose.yaml in go-ipfs
Real-World Exposure
github.com/ipfs/go-ipfsReal-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
Allows admin API access to the IPFS node.
Who ?
This affects people running the docker-compose.yaml service in an environment where the docker host is directly attached to a public or untrusted IP. In the vulnerable version, the private API endpoint is publicly forwarded by exposing it as 0.0.0.0:5001 on the host machine.
If the host machine is hidden behind a firewall or NAT (and the LAN is trusted for NAT), this is not an immediate issue because of the protection from the firewall or NAT. That said, we still recommend users update to follow security best practices of not putting unnecessary dependency on a working firewall.
Patches
This issue is in docker-compose.yaml. Users need to replace their current docker-compose.yaml file with a version 0.12.1 or later.
There is no need to update any of the binaries. Users running previous versions like 0.12.0 or earlier can download the 0.12.1 docker-compose.yaml file. You can replace a vulnerable docker-compose.yaml file with a the new one with:
curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/v0.12.1/docker-compose.yaml > docker-compose.yaml
How to test if you are vulnerable
Binding check on the host
On the host machine, while IPFS is running, run as root:
netstat -lnp | grep ":5001"
The output will be a list of listeners bound to :5001.
You then need to check that those listeners are private and preferably even localhost IPs.
⚠️ If this listener is on 0.0.0.0 or a public IP you are very likely vulnerable.
Remote hailing
While IPFS is running, you can try to contact the API from a remote machine. (Replace 1.2.3.4 with your node public IP. Or if you want to test in an untrusted NAT, then substitute the LAN IP instead.)
curl -X POST http://1.2.3.4:5001/api/v0/version
⚠️ If you see any json outputted (e.g., {"Commit": "<string>","Golang": "<string>","Repo": "<string>","System": "<string>","Version": "<string>"}), then you are vulnerable.
If it fails, then you are safe.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Please first read https://docs.ipfs.io/reference/http/api/ about best practices
- Ask in IPFS Discord #ipfs-chatter
- Open an issue in go-ipfs
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs | ≥ 0.11.0&&< 0.12.1 | 0.12.1go get github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs@v0.12.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs to 0.12.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-fx5p-f64h-93xc 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-fx5p-f64h-93xc can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-fx5p-f64h-93xc. 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-fx5p-f64h-93xc in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-fx5p-f64h-93xc across Go dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.