GitHub Advisoryadvisory · Go

GHSA-q4vm-pq3q-8wgq nebula-mesh: Operator session tokens stored in plaintext in the database

HIGH Published 2026-07-14 Modified 2026-07-14 Official page ↗
Aliases
CVE-2026-53603
Ecosystem
Go
Packages
github.com/forgekeep/nebula-mesh
Severity
High
CVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Weaknesses
CWE-312, CWE-522
Reviewed
2026-07-14

Affected packages

• Go github.com/forgekeep/nebula-mesh: < 0.3.8 → fixed in 0.3.8

Description

Impact Operator session tokens are stored in plaintext in the `operator_sessions` table (the `token` column is the PRIMARY KEY). The session token is a 32-byte random hex value sent directly in a cookie and valid for 24 hours. • `internal/models/operator.go:61` — `OperatorSession.Token` holds the plaintext token. • `internal/store/sqlite_operators.go:590` — `CreateOperatorSession` inserts `sess.Token` verbatim. • `internal/store/sqlite_operators.go:603,642,681,698` — lookups/updates/deletes use `WHERE token = ?` against the plaintext value. Anyone who can read the database (backup, snapshot, file copy, or SQL-level disclosure) obtains every active session token and can hijack operator sessions directly, with no further authentication. This is functionally identical to the plaintext enrollment-token issue fixed in GHSA-ghmh-jhmj-wcmf. API keys (`OperatorAPIKey.KeyHash`) and enrollment tokens (`EnrollmentToken.TokenHash`) already store only a SHA256 hash; session tokens were missed. Patches Store only a SHA256 hash of the session token, mirroring API keys and enrollment tokens: 1. Add a `HashSessionToken` helper (alongside the existing token-hash helpers). 2. Migration to add a `token_hash` column. 3. Update `CreateOperatorSession`, `PromoteOperatorSession`, and `GetOperatorBySession` to write/look up by hash. 4. Drop the plaintext `token` column in a follow-up migration. Sessions are ephemeral (24h TTL), so all active sessions can be invalidated on deployment — no backward compatibility needed. Workarounds Restrict and encrypt database backups; rotate the operator database. These mitigate exposure but do not fix the underlying storage of plaintext tokens. Resources • `internal/models/operator.go:58-66` • `internal/store/sqlite_operators.go:577-698` • Migration `005_operators.up.sql:27` • Prior related advisory: GHSA-ghmh-jhmj-wcmf

Related

Alias · CVE (1)

  • CVE-2026-53603 nebula-mesh is a self-hosted control plane for Slack Nebula mesh VPN. vulnerability

Weakness · CWE (2)

  • CWE-312 Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information weakness
  • CWE-522 Insufficiently Protected Credentials weakness

References