Summary
Red-DiscordBot vulnerable to Incorrect Authorization in commands API
Workarounds
Any cog using the @commands.can_manage_channel() command permission check should be unloaded until an upgrade to a patched version can be performed.
References
https://github.com/Cog-Creators/Red-DiscordBot/pull/6398
https://github.com/Cog-Creators/Red-DiscordBot/releases/tag/3.5.10
https://pypi.org/project/Red-DiscordBot/3.5.10/
Impact
Due to a bug in Red's Core API, 3rd-party cogs using the @commands.can_manage_channel() command permission check without additional permission controls may authorize a user to run a command even when that user doesn't have permissions to manage a channel.
None of the core commands or core cogs are affected. The maintainers of the project are not aware of any public 3rd-party cog utilizing this API at the time of writing this advisory.
The @commands.mod_or_can_manage_channel(), @commands.admin_or_can_manage_channel(), and @commands.guildowner_or_can_manage_channel() command permission checks are unaffected.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:L/SA:N/AU:Y/R:U/RE:L
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-2024-39905 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 (3.5.10); 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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The problem was patched in PR #6398 and later released in version 3.5.10.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2024-39905? CVE-2024-39905 is a medium-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in Red-DiscordBot (pip), affecting versions >= 3.5.0, < 3.5.10. It is fixed in 3.5.10. The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions.
- How severe is CVE-2024-39905? CVE-2024-39905 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 Red-DiscordBot are affected by CVE-2024-39905? Red-DiscordBot (pip) versions >= 3.5.0, < 3.5.10 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2024-39905? Yes. CVE-2024-39905 is fixed in 3.5.10. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2024-39905 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-39905 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-2024-39905 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-2024-39905? Upgrade
Red-DiscordBotto 3.5.10 or later.