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GHSA-q4vm-pq3q-8wgq: nebula-mesh: Operator session tokens stored in plaintext in the database

highCVE-2026-53603
Impact Operator session tokens are stored in plaintext in the operator_sessions table (the token column is the PRIMARY KEY). The session token is a 32-byte random hex value sent directly in a cookie and valid for 24 hours. - internal/models/operator.go:61 — OperatorSession.Token holds the plaintext token. - internal/store/sqlite_operators.go:590 — CreateOperatorSession inserts sess.Token verbatim. - internal/store/sqlite_operators.go:603,642,681,698 — lookups/updates/deletes use WHERE token = ? against the plaintext value. Anyone who can read the database (backup, snapshot, file copy, or SQL-level disclosure) obtains every active session token and can hijack operator sessions directly, with no further authentication. This is functionally identical to the plaintext enrollment-token issue fixed in GHSA-ghmh-jhmj-wcmf. API keys (OperatorAPIKey.KeyHash) and enrollment tokens (EnrollmentToken.TokenHash) already store only a SHA256 hash; session tokens were missed. Patches Store only a SHA256 hash of the session token, mirroring API keys and enrollment tokens: 1. Add a HashSessionToken helper (alongside the existing token-hash helpers). 2. Migration to add a token_hash column. 3. Update CreateOperatorSession, PromoteOperatorSession, and GetOperatorBySession to write/look up by hash. 4. Drop the plaintext token column in a follow-up migration. Sessions are ephemeral (24h TTL), so all active sessions can be invalidated on deployment — no backward compatibility needed. Workarounds Restrict and encrypt database backups; rotate the operator database. These mitigate exposure but do not fix the underlying storage of plaintext tokens. Resources - internal/models/operator.go:58-66 - internal/store/sqlite_operators.go:577-698 - Migration 005_operators.up.sql:27 - Prior related advisory: GHSA-ghmh-jhmj-wcmf

Details

Source
GitHub Security Advisories (INTL · database · site)
Severity
high
Published
2026-07-14
Last updated
2026-07-14
Exploitation
Not in CISA KEV at last sync

Original advisory: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-q4vm-pq3q-8wgq

Referenced CVEs

CVECSIRTS overviewExternal
CVE-2026-53603coverage & exploitation statusNVD · CVE.org

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