Summary
Datasette 1.0 alpha series leaks names of databases and tables to unauthenticated users
Workarounds
To work around this issue, block all traffic to the /-/api endpoint. This can be done with a proxy such as Apache or NGINX, or by installing the datasette-block plugin and adding the following configuration to your metadata.json or metadata.yml file:
{
"plugins": {
"datasette-block": {
"prefixes": ["/-/api"]
}
}
}
This will block access to the API explorer but will still allow access to the Datasette read or write JSON APIs, as those use different URL patterns within the Datasette /database hierarchy.
Impact
This bug affects Datasette instances running a Datasette 1.0 alpha - 1.0a0, 1.0a1, 1.0a2 or 1.0a3 - in an online accessible location but with authentication enabled using a plugin such as datasette-auth-passwords.
The /-/api API explorer endpoint could reveal the names of both databases and tables - but not their contents - to an unauthenticated user.
CVE-2023-40570 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium). 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 (1.0a4); 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.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
Datasette 1.0a4 has a fix for this issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-40570? CVE-2023-40570 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in datasette (pip), affecting versions >= 1.0a0, < 1.0a4. It is fixed in 1.0a4.
- How severe is CVE-2023-40570? CVE-2023-40570 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (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.
- Which versions of datasette are affected by CVE-2023-40570? datasette (pip) versions >= 1.0a0, < 1.0a4 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-40570? Yes. CVE-2023-40570 is fixed in 1.0a4. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-40570 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-40570 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-2023-40570 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-2023-40570? Upgrade
datasetteto 1.0a4 or later.