CVE-2023-36462

Summary

Mastodon is a free, open-source social network server based on ActivityPub. Starting in version 2.6.0 and prior to versions 3.5.9, 4.0.5, and 4.1.3, an attacker can craft a verified profile link using specific formatting to conceal arbitrary parts of the link, enabling it to appear to link to a different URL altogether. The link is visually misleading, but clicking on it will reveal the actual link. This can still be used for phishing, though, similar to IDN homograph attacks. Versions 3.5.9, 4.0.5, and 4.1.3 contain a patch for this issue.

Impact & exploitability

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

Affected products we track (1)

Recommendation

Apply the vendor fix in your normal patch cycle. Open any affected product above for its exact safe version.

Official patch: https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/commit/610731b03dfcadd887078cb0399f4e514aa1931c ↗

Additional information

• NVD record
• https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/commit/610731b03dfcadd887078cb0399f4e514aa1931cPatch
• https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/security/advisories/GHSA-55j9-c3mp-6fcqAdvisory
• https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/releases/tag/v3.5.9
• https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/releases/tag/v4.0.5
• https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/releases/tag/v4.1.3