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TI-2025-43559 Aliases GHSA-vqv5-385r-2hf8

Contrast's unauthenticated recovery allows Coordinator impersonation

Priority LOW 38CWE-285Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
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Privileges required
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User interaction
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Attack complexity
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Impact type
Security bypass
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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Fix status
Fixed

No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from GitHub. Impact type from CWE-285.

Summary

### Impact Recovering coordinators do not verify the seed provided by the recovering party. This allows an attacker to set up a coordinator with a manifest that passes validation, but with a secret seed controlled by the attacker. If network traffic is redirected from the legitimate coordinator to the attacker's coordinator, a workload owner is susceptible to impersonation if either * they `set` a new manifest and don't compare the root CA cert with the existing one (this is the default of the `contrast` CLI) or * they `verify` the coordinator and don't compare the root CA cert with a trusted reference. Under these circumstances, the attacker can: * Issue certificates that chain back to the attacker coordinator's root CA. * Recover arbitrary workload secrets of workloads deployed after the attack. This issue does **not** affect the following: * secrets of the legitimate coordinator (seed, workload secrets, CA) * integrity of workloads, even when used with the rogue coordinator * certificates chaining back to the mesh CA ### Patches This issue is patched in Contrast v1.4.1. ### Workarounds The issue can be avoided by verifying the coordinator root CA cert against expectations. * At the first `set` call, keep a copy of the CA cert returned by the coordinator. * After subsequent `set` or `verify` calls, compare the returned CA cert with the backup copy. If it matches bit-for-bit, the coordinator is legitimate.

Why it matters now

Fix Fixed github.com/edgelesssys/contrast (Go): 1.4.1

SSVC decision points

Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
—github.com/edgelesssys/contrast (Go)before 1.4.11.4.1Patch availableGHSA-vqv5-385r-2hf8
  • github.com/edgelesssys/contrast (Go) Vendor— Affected before 1.4.1 Fixed in 1.4.1 Patch available GHSA-vqv5-385r-2hf8

Remediation

  • Fix · GHSA-vqv5-385r-2hf8 github.com/edgelesssys/contrast (Go) Fixed in 1.4.1 Advisory →

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-03 Threatist record created from GHSA-vqv5-385r-2hf8

References

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences