Improper Authentication Affecting element-web package, versions <1.11.7-r0


Severity

Recommended
0.0
high
0
10

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Threat Intelligence

EPSS
1.18% (68th percentile)

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  • Snyk IDSNYK-ALPINE323-ELEMENTWEB-14177934
  • published4 Dec 2025
  • disclosed28 Sept 2022

Introduced: 28 Sep 2022

CVE-2022-39251  (opens in a new tab)
CWE-287  (opens in a new tab)

How to fix?

Upgrade Alpine:3.23 element-web to version 1.11.7-r0 or higher.

NVD Description

Note: Versions mentioned in the description apply only to the upstream element-web package and not the element-web package as distributed by Alpine. See How to fix? for Alpine:3.23 relevant fixed versions and status.

Matrix Javascript SDK is the Matrix Client-Server SDK for JavaScript. Prior to version 19.7.0, an attacker cooperating with a malicious homeserver can construct messages that legitimately appear to have come from another person, without any indication such as a grey shield. Additionally, a sophisticated attacker cooperating with a malicious homeserver could employ this vulnerability to perform a targeted attack in order to send fake to-device messages appearing to originate from another user. This can allow, for example, to inject the key backup secret during a self-verification, to make a targeted device start using a malicious key backup spoofed by the homeserver. These attacks are possible due to a protocol confusion vulnerability that accepts to-device messages encrypted with Megolm instead of Olm. Starting with version 19.7.0, matrix-js-sdk has been modified to only accept Olm-encrypted to-device messages. Out of caution, several other checks have been audited or added. This attack requires coordination between a malicious home server and an attacker, so those who trust their home servers do not need a workaround.

CVSS Base Scores

version 3.1