Summary
Temporal Server vulnerable to Incorrect Authorization and Insecure Default Initialization of Resource
Insecure defaults in open-source Temporal Server before version 1.20 on all platforms allows an attacker to craft a task token with access to a namespace other than the one specified in the request. Creation of this task token must be done outside of the normal Temporal server flow. It requires the namespace UUID and information from the workflow history for the target namespace. Under these conditions, it is possible to interfere with pending tasks in other namespaces, such as marking a task failed or completed.
If a task is targeted for completion by the attacker, the targeted namespace must also be using the same data converter configuration as the initial, valid, namespace for the task completion payload to be decoded by workers in the target namespace.
Impact
The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions. Typical impact: unauthorized data access or execution of privileged operations.
CVE-2023-3485 has a CVSS score of 3.0 (Low). The vector is requires local access, high 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 (1.20.0); 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-2023-3485? CVE-2023-3485 is a low-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in go.temporal.io/server (go), affecting versions < 1.20.0. It is fixed in 1.20.0. The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions.
- How severe is CVE-2023-3485? CVE-2023-3485 has a CVSS score of 3.0 (Low). 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 go.temporal.io/server are affected by CVE-2023-3485? go.temporal.io/server (go) versions < 1.20.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-3485? Yes. CVE-2023-3485 is fixed in 1.20.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-3485 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-3485 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-2023-3485 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-2023-3485? Upgrade
go.temporal.io/serverto 1.20.0 or later.