CVE-2024-35223

Summary

A vulnerability has been found in Dapr that causes a leak of the application token of the invoker app to the invoked app when using Dapr as a gRPC proxy for remote service invocation. This issue arises because Dapr sends the app token of the invoker app instead of the app token of the invoked app.

Users who leverage Dapr for gRPC proxy service invocation and are using the app API token feature are encouraged to upgrade Dapr to version 1.13.3.

Details

Dapr uses two types of tokens for authentication:

• APP_API_TOKEN: Used by Dapr to authenticate to the app.
• DAPR_API_TOKEN: Used by the app to authenticate to Dapr.

Dapr uses the dapr-api-token metadata in gRPC calls (or header, for HTTP calls) for authentication.

• In communication from dapr to the app, the dapr-api-token metadata field will carry the APP_API_TOKEN.
• In communication from the app to daprd, the dapr-api-token metadata field will carry the DAPR_API_TOKEN.

Before version 1.13.0, the APP_API_TOKEN was not being sent to the invoked app for authentication, as reported in this issue. Instead, Dapr was incorrectly using the same DAPR_API_TOKEN that the invoker app had passed to Dapr. This was addressed in PR #7404, but the fix only worked for self-invocation scenarios.

When Dapr needed to communicate with another instance, it would mistakenly include the APP_API_TOKEN of the invoker app in the request. This behavior is incorrect, app tokens should never be included in requests between Dapr sidecars. This vulnerability allows the receiving app to see the app token of the invoker app, leading to potential misuse and security breaches.

The vulnerability is addressed by ensuring that Dapr uses the correct app token (of the invoked app) during gRPC proxy service invocation.

References

• https://docs.dapr.io/operations/security/app-api-token/
• https://github.com/dapr/dapr/issues/7344
• https://github.com/dapr/dapr/pull/7404

Credits

Thanks to Benjamin Delay for reporting this issue.

This vulnerability impacts Dapr users who use Dapr as a gRPC proxy for remote service invocation as well as the Dapr App API token functionality. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to gain access to the app token of the invoker app, potentially compromising security and authentication mechanisms.

CVE-2024-35223 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 (1.13.3); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

The issue has been fixed in Dapr version 1.13.3.

1. What is CVE-2024-35223? CVE-2024-35223 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in github.com/dapr/dapr (go), affecting versions >= 1.13.0, < 1.13.3. It is fixed in 1.13.3.
2. How severe is CVE-2024-35223? CVE-2024-35223 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.
3. Which versions of github.com/dapr/dapr are affected by CVE-2024-35223? github.com/dapr/dapr (go) versions >= 1.13.0, < 1.13.3 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2024-35223? Yes. CVE-2024-35223 is fixed in 1.13.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2024-35223 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-35223 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-2024-35223 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-2024-35223? Upgrade github.com/dapr/dapr to 1.13.3 or later.