What is CVE-2017-16613?

CVE-2017-16613 is a critical-severity improper authentication vulnerability in swauth (pip), affecting versions < 1.3.0. It is fixed in 1.3.0. The application does not adequately verify the identity of a user, device, or process before granting access.

How severe is CVE-2017-16613?

CVE-2017-16613 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Which versions of swauth are affected by CVE-2017-16613?

swauth (pip) versions < 1.3.0 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2017-16613?

Yes. CVE-2017-16613 is fixed in 1.3.0. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2017-16613 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2017-16613 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

What actually determines whether CVE-2017-16613 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

CVE-2017-16613 in swauth

Q: How severe is CVE-2017-16613?

CVE-2017-16613 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Q: Which versions of swauth are affected by CVE-2017-16613?

swauth (pip) versions < 1.3.0 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2017-16613?

Yes. CVE-2017-16613 is fixed in 1.3.0. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2017-16613 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2017-16613 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2017-16613 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2017-16613?

Upgrade swauth to 1.3.0 or later.

Summary

OpenStack Swauth object/proxy server writing Auth Token to log file

An issue was discovered in middleware.py in OpenStack Swauth through 1.2.0 when used with OpenStack Swift through 2.15.1. The Swift object store and proxy server are saving (unhashed) tokens retrieved from the Swauth middleware authentication mechanism to a log file as part of a GET URI. This allows attackers to bypass authentication by inserting a token into an X-Auth-Token header of a new request. NOTE: github.com/openstack/swauth URLs do not mean that Swauth is maintained by an official OpenStack project team.

Impact

The application does not adequately verify the identity of a user, device, or process before granting access. Typical impact: unauthorized access to functions or data reserved for authenticated parties.

CVE-2017-16613 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (1.3.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

swauth (< 1.3.0)

Security releases

swauth → 1.3.0 (pip)

Kodem intelligence

Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.

Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.

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Remediation advice

Upgrade swauth to 1.3.0 or later to resolve this vulnerability.

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-16613? CVE-2017-16613 is a critical-severity improper authentication vulnerability in swauth (pip), affecting versions < 1.3.0. It is fixed in 1.3.0. The application does not adequately verify the identity of a user, device, or process before granting access.
How severe is CVE-2017-16613? CVE-2017-16613 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
Which versions of swauth are affected by CVE-2017-16613? swauth (pip) versions < 1.3.0 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2017-16613? Yes. CVE-2017-16613 is fixed in 1.3.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2017-16613 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2017-16613 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
What actually determines whether CVE-2017-16613 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
How do I fix CVE-2017-16613? Upgrade swauth to 1.3.0 or later.