CVE-2022-29238

Token bruteforcing.

Workarounds

Is there a way for users to fix or remediate the vulnerability without upgrading?

• Do not run the notebook server in a directory with hidden files, use subdirectories
• Use a custom ContentsManager with additional checks for self.is_hidden(path) prior to completing actions

References

Are there any links users can visit to find out more?

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

• Open an issue in example link to repo
• Email us at example email address

What kind of vulnerability is it? Who is impacted?

Authenticated requests to the notebook server with ContentsManager.allow_hidden = False only prevented listing the contents of hidden directories, not accessing individual hidden files or files in hidden directories (i.e. hidden files were 'hidden' but not 'inaccessible'). This could lead to notebook configurations allowing authenticated access to files that may reasonably be expected to be disallowed.

Because fully authenticated requests are required, this is of relatively low impact. But if a server's root directory contains sensitive files whose only protection from the server is being hidden (e.g. ~/.ssh while serving $HOME), then any authenticated requests could access files if their names are guessable. Such contexts also necessarily have full access to the server and therefore execution permissions, which also generally grants access to all the same files. So this does not generally result in any privilege escalation or increase in information access, only an additional, unintended means by which the files could be accessed.

CVE-2022-29238 has a CVSS score of 4.3 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low 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 (6.4.12); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Already deployed Kodem?

Has the problem been patched? What versions should users upgrade to?

notebook 6.4.12

1. What is CVE-2022-29238? CVE-2022-29238 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in notebook (pip), affecting versions < 6.4.12. It is fixed in 6.4.12.
2. How severe is CVE-2022-29238? CVE-2022-29238 has a CVSS score of 4.3 (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.
3. Which versions of notebook are affected by CVE-2022-29238? notebook (pip) versions < 6.4.12 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2022-29238? Yes. CVE-2022-29238 is fixed in 6.4.12. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2022-29238 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-29238 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2022-29238 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2022-29238? Upgrade notebook to 6.4.12 or later.

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