Summary
Insecure random string generator used for sensitive data
CubeFS used an insecure random string generator to generate user-specific, sensitive keys used to authenticate users in a CubeFS deployment. This could allow an attacker to predict and/or guess the generated string and impersonate a user thereby obtaining higher privileges.
When CubeFS creates new users, it creates a piece of sensitive information for the user called the “accessKey”. To create the "accesKey", CubeFS uses an insecure string generator which makes it easy to guess and thereby impersonate the created user.
An attacker could leverage the predictable random string generator and guess a users access key and impersonate the user to obtain higher privileges.
There is no evidence of this vulnerability being exploited in the wild. It was found during a security audit carried out by Ada Logics in collaboration with OSTIF and the CNCF.
The issue has been fixed in v3.3.1. There is no other mitigation than to upgrade.
Impact
Security-sensitive operations rely on values that are predictable or insufficiently random. Typical impact: forged tokens, guessable identifiers, or broken cryptographic protocols.
CVE-2023-46740 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (High). 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 (3.3.1); 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-2023-46740? CVE-2023-46740 is a high-severity use of insufficiently random values vulnerability in github.com/cubefs/cubefs (go), affecting versions < 3.3.1. It is fixed in 3.3.1. Security-sensitive operations rely on values that are predictable or insufficiently random.
- How severe is CVE-2023-46740? CVE-2023-46740 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (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/cubefs/cubefs are affected by CVE-2023-46740? github.com/cubefs/cubefs (go) versions < 3.3.1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-46740? Yes. CVE-2023-46740 is fixed in 3.3.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-46740 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-46740 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-2023-46740 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-2023-46740? Upgrade
github.com/cubefs/cubefsto 3.3.1 or later.