Summary
SpiceDB binding metrics port to untrusted networks and can leak command-line flags
Background
The spicedb serve command contains a flag named --grpc-preshared-key which is used to protect the gRPC API from being accessed by unauthorized requests. The values of this flag are to be considered sensitive, secret data.
The /debug/pprof/cmdline endpoint served by the metrics service (defaulting running on port 9090) reveals the command-line flags provided for debugging purposes. If a password is set via the --grpc-preshared-key then the key is revealed by this endpoint along with any other flags provided to the SpiceDB binary.
Workarounds
To workaround this issue you can do one of the following:
- Configure the preshared key via an environment variable (e.g.
SPICEDB_GRPC_PRESHARED_KEY=yoursecret spicedb serve) - Reconfigure the
--metrics-addrflag to bind to a trusted network (e.g.--metrics-addr=localhost:9090) - Disable the metrics service via the flag (e.g.
--metrics-enabled=false) - Adopt one of the recommended deployment models: Authzed's managed services or the SpiceDB Operator
References
- GitHub Security Advisory issued for SpiceDB
- Go issue #22085 for documenting the risks of exposing pprof to the internet
- Go issue #42834 discusses preventing pprof registration to the default serve mux
- semgrep rule go.lang.security.audit.net.pprof.pprof-debug-exposure checks for a variation of this issue
Impact
All deployments abiding by the recommended best practices for production usage are NOT affected:
- Authzed's SpiceDB Serverless
- Authzed's SpiceDB Dedicated
- SpiceDB Operator
Users configuring SpiceDB via environment variables are NOT affected.
Users MAY be affected if they expose their metrics port to an untrusted network and are configuring --grpc-preshared-key via command-line flag.
CVE-2023-29193 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). 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 (1.19.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
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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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-29193? CVE-2023-29193 is a high-severity security vulnerability in github.com/authzed/spicedb (go), affecting versions < 1.19.1. It is fixed in 1.19.1.
- How severe is CVE-2023-29193? CVE-2023-29193 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). 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/authzed/spicedb are affected by CVE-2023-29193? github.com/authzed/spicedb (go) versions < 1.19.1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-29193? Yes. CVE-2023-29193 is fixed in 1.19.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-29193 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-29193 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-2023-29193 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-2023-29193? Upgrade
github.com/authzed/spicedbto 1.19.1 or later.