CVE-2024-55965: In-Depth Analysis of Appsmith Viewer Access Issue: How to Identify and Mitigate the Risk?

Recently, a severe issue has been discovered in Appsmith before version 1.51. Appsmith is a popular open-source web development framework that allows developers to build and manage applications quickly and efficiently. The issue (CVE-2024-55965) occurs when "App Viewers" are given access to development information (such as a list of datasources) in a workspace they are a member of, even though they are not supposed to. In this blog post, we will dive deep into the issue, understand the potential risks, and learn how to mitigate it. We will also provide code snippets and links to the original references.

CVE-2024-55965: Incorrect access control in Appsmith before 1.51

According to the official CVE description, the vulnerability lies in the incorrect access control mechanism of Appsmith, which exposes development information of a workspace to users invited as "App Viewers." The disclosed information includes the list of datasources within the workspace they are members of.

While this information disclosure does not expose sensitive data such as database passwords and API keys, it still poses a potential security risk. Unauthorized access to this data may lead to unauthorized changes, data manipulation, or even potential data breaches.

Here is a code snippet that demonstrates how the issue occurs

# Example of a faulty access control implementation in Appsmith

def check_access(user, workspace_id):
    """Checks if a user has access to a workspace."""
    if user.role == "App Viewer":
        # SHOULD NOT return True for "App Viewer" users
        return True
    else:
        # For other roles, check if the user has proper access
        return user.has_workspace_access(workspace_id)

Exploit Details

The vulnerability is classified as an Information Disclosure vulnerability (CWE-200). The severity of this vulnerability can range from moderate to high, depending on how an attacker can use the disclosed information to gain unauthorized access or perform other malicious actions.

For more information about the CVE-2024-55965 issue, you can refer to the following resources

1. Official CVE Record
2. Appsmith GitHub Issue
3. Appsmith Changelog

Mitigation Steps

Appsmith has acknowledged the issue and released a fix in version 1.51. To mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability, you should follow these steps:

1. Upgrade to Appsmith version 1.51 or later: Check your Appsmith installation and ensure that you are running version 1.51 or newer. Follow the official Appsmith upgrade guide to perform the upgrade.

2. Review user access: Ensure that viewers should not be granted inappropriate access to development information. Regularly review and update user access controls to minimize the risk of unauthorized access.

3. Monitor access logs: Keep an eye on access logs to detect any unauthorized access or suspicious activity within your workspaces. Promptly investigate and address any potential security issues.

Conclusion

CVE-2024-55965 highlights the importance of proper access control mechanisms in web development frameworks like Appsmith. By understanding the issue, assessing the risks, and taking appropriate mitigatory measures, you can better secure your applications and protect your data from unauthorized exposure. Stay vigilant and keep your applications up to date to minimize security risks!

Timeline

Published on: 03/26/2025 21:15:23 UTC
Last modified on: 03/27/2025 16:45:27 UTC