What is CVE-2020-12283?

CVE-2020-12283 is a medium-severity open redirect vulnerability in github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph (go), affecting versions < 3.14.4. It is fixed in 3.14.4, 3.15.1. Untrusted input controls a URL used for redirection, which can forward users to attacker-controlled sites.

How severe is CVE-2020-12283?

CVE-2020-12283 has a CVSS score of 6.1 (Medium). 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 github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph are affected by CVE-2020-12283?

github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph (go) versions < 3.14.4 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2020-12283?

Yes. CVE-2020-12283 is fixed in 3.14.4, 3.15.1. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2020-12283 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2020-12283 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-2020-12283 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-2020-12283 in github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph

Q: How severe is CVE-2020-12283?

CVE-2020-12283 has a CVSS score of 6.1 (Medium). 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 github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph are affected by CVE-2020-12283?

github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph (go) versions < 3.14.4 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2020-12283?

Yes. CVE-2020-12283 is fixed in 3.14.4, 3.15.1. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2020-12283 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2020-12283 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-2020-12283 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-2020-12283?

Upgrade: github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph to 3.14.4 or later, github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph to 3.15.1 or later.

Summary

Open redirect vulnerability in Sourcegraph

Specific Go Packages Affected

github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph/cmd/frontend/auth

Resolution

Sourcegraph v3.14.4 and v3.15.1 have been released which resolve the vulnerability. (associated change)

Workarounds

Disabling OAuth, OpenID and/or SAML sign-in options until upgraded to the patched versions will secure Sourcegraph / workaround the issue.

Timeline

Apr 23, 8 AM PST: GitHub Security Lab reported the issue to Sourcegraph.
Apr 23, 11 PM PST: A Sourcegraph engineer proposed a resolution for the vulnerability. https://github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph/pull/10167
Apr 24, 3 AM PST: The proposed resolution was reviewed, approved, and merged.
Apr 28, 2 PM PST: Patch releases for 3.14.4 and 3.15.1 were published.
Apr 29, 10 PM PST: Mitre publicly disclosed CVE-2020-12283.
Apr 30, 11 AM PST: Sourcegraph issued a GitHub security advisory and notified all affected users.

References

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory, please contact us at [email protected] and include CVE-2020-12283 in the title.

Impact

An open redirect vulnerability that allows users to be targeted for phishing attacks has been found in Sourcegraph instances configured with OAuth, OpenID, or SAML authentication enabled. Users targeted by these phishing attacks could have their authentication tokens silently harvested by an attacker.

Untrusted input controls a URL used for redirection, which can forward users to attacker-controlled sites. Typical impact: phishing and credential harvesting via a trusted domain.

CVE-2020-12283 has a CVSS score of 6.1 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and user interaction required. 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 (3.14.4, 3.15.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph (< 3.14.4) github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph (>= 3.15.0, < 3.15.1)

Security releases

github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph → 3.14.4 (go) github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph → 3.15.1 (go)

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 the following packages to resolve this vulnerability:

github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph to 3.14.4 or later; github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph to 3.15.1 or later

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-12283? CVE-2020-12283 is a medium-severity open redirect vulnerability in github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph (go), affecting versions < 3.14.4. It is fixed in 3.14.4, 3.15.1. Untrusted input controls a URL used for redirection, which can forward users to attacker-controlled sites.
How severe is CVE-2020-12283? CVE-2020-12283 has a CVSS score of 6.1 (Medium). 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 github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph are affected by CVE-2020-12283? github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph (go) versions < 3.14.4 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2020-12283? Yes. CVE-2020-12283 is fixed in 3.14.4, 3.15.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2020-12283 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-12283 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-2020-12283 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-2020-12283?
- Upgrade github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph to 3.14.4 or later
- Upgrade github.com/sourcegraph/sourcegraph to 3.15.1 or later