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GHSA-fwww-cp23-7f5g CVE-2026-55545

Yamcs's WebSocket subscription handlers omit the privilege checks their REST siblings enforce

Medium Maven
Severity
6.5 / 10
Medium · CVSS 3.1
Exploit chance (EPSS)
0.45%
Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days. Higher than 39.25% of scored vulnerabilities.
Known exploited
No
Not in CISA's catalog
Weakness
CWE-862 Missing Authorization
Fix
5.12.8
Upgrade org.yamcs:yamcs-core to this version or later

Description

Asset / scope: Yamcs 5.12.7 WebSocket topics (packets, algorithm-status, mdb-changes)

Summary

Several WebSocket subscription handlers do not perform the privilege check that their REST counterparts enforce, so a principal subscribing over WebSocket receives data the REST API would have scoped or denied.

Root cause

  • packets (PacketsApi.subscribePackets) performs no ReadPacket check, while the REST siblings do (listPackets:128, streamPackets:256, subscribeContainers:538). A principal with a narrow ReadPacket scope receives the raw binary of all TM packets on the processor.
  • algorithm-status (ProcessingApi.subscribeAlgorithmStatus) performs no check, while REST getAlgorithmStatus enforces checkObjectPrivileges(ReadAlgorithm, ...) (:467).
  • mdb-changes (MdbOverrideApi.subscribeMdbChanges) performs no check, while base MDB reads require GetMissionDatabase.

Remediation

Bring each WebSocket subscription handler to parity with its REST sibling's privilege check (ReadPacket, ReadAlgorithm, GetMissionDatabase). This is the same declarative fail-closed fix as Report 1.

Supporting material

Subsystem source audit of the WS-vs-REST authorization parity. Available on request.

--

Disclosure and credit

This was found by Cipher / Causal Security - https://causalsecurity.com/. We are coordinating disclosure via this report and request CVEs where you agree they qualify. We propose the 90-day window stated in your security policy. We might publish a write-up after a fix and the agreed window.

Affected versions

Maven

PackageVulnerableFixed in
org.yamcs:yamcs-core
< 5.12.8
5.12.8
org.yamcs:yamcs-core
>= 5.13.0, < 5.13.2
5.13.2

How to fix

Move to the fixed version or later with your package manager, update the lockfile, and run your tests. If the package only arrives through another dependency, upgrade that dependency first. If none of its releases pulls a fixed version yet, force the version with your package manager's override.

org.yamcs:yamcs-core Maven → 5.12.8

maven
<dependency><groupId>org.yamcs</groupId><artifactId>yamcs-core</artifactId><version>5.12.8</version></dependency>
gradle
implementation("org.yamcs:yamcs-core:5.12.8")

Severity breakdown

CVSS 3.1 6.5

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

Weakness

CWE-862: Missing Authorization

The product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.

How to prevent it
  • Architecture and Design: Divide the product into anonymous, normal, privileged, and administrative areas. Reduce the attack surface by carefully mapping roles with data and functionality. Use role-based access control (RBAC) [REF-229] to enforce the roles at the appropriate boundaries. Note that this approach may not protect against horizontal authorization, i.e., it will not protect a user from attacking others with the same role.
  • Architecture and Design: Ensure that access control checks are performed related to the business logic. These checks may be different than the access control checks that are applied to more generic resources such as files, connections, processes, memory, and database records. For example, a database may restrict access for medical records to a specific database user, but each record might only be intended to be accessible to the patient and the patient's doctor [REF-7].
  • Architecture and Design: Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, consider using authorization frameworks such as the JAAS Authorization Framework [REF-233] and the OWASP ESAPI Access Control feature [REF-45].
  • Architecture and Design: For web applications, make sure that the access control mechanism is enforced correctly at the server side on every page. Users should not be able to access any unauthorized functionality or information by simply requesting direct access to that page. One way to do this is to ensure that all pages containing sensitive information are not cached, and that all such pages restrict access to requests that are accompanied by an active and authenticated session token associated with a user who has the required permissions to access that page.
  • System Configuration, Installation: Use the access control capabilities of your operating system and server environment and define your access control lists accordingly. Use a "default deny" policy when defining these ACLs.

References

Timeline

  1. Published
  2. Last updated by the source
  3. Latest EPSS score
AdvisorySeverityWhy it's related
GHSA-9272-wg2r-7xmx
Yamcs has DOM XSS in Extension Routing
Medium Also affects org.yamcs:yamcs-core
GHSA-c64q-hj4j-375f
Yamcs vulnerable to authenticated remote code execution via unescaped StreamSQL `LIKE` pattern compiled by Janino (`LikeExpression`)
Critical Also affects org.yamcs:yamcs-core
GHSA-73mf-m39p-wpm9
Yamcs vulnerable to Remote Code Execution via instance-template argument YAML injection (createInstance)
Critical Also affects org.yamcs:yamcs-core
GHSA-9jg3-g3wh-w9pj
Yamcs has Unauthenticated Directory Traversal
High Also affects org.yamcs:yamcs-core
GHSA-rxpg-wjf8-qv9c
Yamcs has Reflected XSS in the URL of the Authorize Endpoint
Medium Also affects org.yamcs:yamcs-core
GHSA-cvw4-55pp-3hfq
Yamcs's Missing Authorization on Role and Privilege Enumeration Endpoints Allows Any Authenticated User to Disclose Full Security Configuration
Medium Also affects org.yamcs:yamcs-core
GHSA-962x-ccwf-8x6p
Yamcs Core API has Multiple Missing Function Level Access Control vulnerabilities
High Also affects org.yamcs:yamcs-core
GHSA-3g44-3m7x-cgg2
Yamcs vulnerable to authenticated RCE via StreamSQL aggregate-compiler column-name injection in Yamcs `executeSql`
Critical Also affects org.yamcs:yamcs-core
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