GHSA-96q5-xm3p-7m84
Vikunja: Link Share JWT tokens remain valid for 72 hours after share deletion or permission downgrade
Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Go | code.vikunja.io/api | < 2.3.0 | 2.3.0 |
Details
As written in the advisory (Markdown source, shown as plain text).
## Title
Link Share JWT tokens remain valid for 72 hours after share deletion or permission downgrade
## Description
Vikunja's link share authentication constructs authorization objects entirely from JWT claims without any server-side database validation. When a project owner deletes a link share or downgrades its permissions, all previously issued JWTs continue to grant the **original** permission level for up to **72 hours** (the default `service.jwtttl`).
`GetLinkShareFromClaims` at `pkg/models/link_sharing.go` lines 88-119 performs **zero database queries** — it builds the `LinkSharing` struct purely from JWT claim values (`id`, `hash`, `project_id`, `permission`, `sharedByID`). This struct is passed directly to permission checks:
| Function | File | Lines | DB queries |
|----------|------|-------|------------|
| `GetLinkShareFromClaims` | `link_sharing.go` | 88-119 | 0 |
| `Project.CanRead` (link share) | `project_permissions.go` | 105-108 | 0 |
| `Project.CanWrite` (link share) | `project_permissions.go` | 50-53 | 0 |
| `Project.IsAdmin` (link share) | `project_permissions.go` | 192-194 | 0 |
**Contrast with user tokens:** User JWTs use a 10-minute TTL (`ServiceJWTTTLShort`) with `sid` claim and server-side sessions enabling revocation. Link share JWTs use a 72-hour TTL (`ServiceJWTTTL`) with no `sid`, no server-side session, and no refresh mechanism.
**Permalink:**
- `GetLinkShareFromClaims`: `pkg/models/link_sharing.go:88-119`
- `NewLinkShareJWTAuthtoken`: `pkg/modules/auth/auth.go:141-160`
- Permission checks: `pkg/models/project_permissions.go:50-53, 105-108, 192-194`
- TTL defaults: `pkg/config/config.go:337-339`
### PoC
```bash
# 1. Create an Admin-level link share on project 42
curl -X PUT "https://vikunja.example.com/api/v1/projects/42/shares" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <owner-jwt>" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"permission": 2}'
# Response: {"id": 5, "hash": "abc123", ...}
# 2. Obtain link share JWT (72h TTL, no sid claim)
curl -X POST "https://vikunja.example.com/api/v1/shares/abc123/auth"
# Response: {"token": "<link-share-jwt>"}
# 3. Delete the link share
curl -X DELETE "https://vikunja.example.com/api/v1/projects/42/shares/5" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <owner-jwt>"
# 200 OK — share row removed from database
# 4. Use the deleted share's JWT — STILL WORKS for up to 72 hours
curl -X GET "https://vikunja.example.com/api/v1/projects/42/tasks" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <link-share-jwt>"
# 200 OK — full task list returned with Admin permissions
# 5. Permission downgrade variant:
# Delete Admin share → create Read-only share → old JWT still has Admin access
```
### Impact
- Revoked link shares remain functional for up to 72 hours (default TTL)
- Project owners cannot respond to security events (leaked URLs, access revocation) in real time
- Permission downgrades have no effect on outstanding tokens
- Scope: single project per token, severity scales with permission level (Admin > Write > Read)
### Fix
Add database validation in `GetLinkShareFromClaims`:
```go
func GetLinkShareFromClaims(claims jwt.MapClaims) (share *LinkSharing, err error) {
id, is := claims["id"].(float64)
if !is {
return nil, &ErrLinkShareTokenInvalid{}
}
// Validate against database
s := db.NewSession()
defer s.Close()
share, err = GetLinkShareByID(s, int64(id))
if err != nil {
return nil, err // Share was deleted
}
// Verify permission not downgraded
claimedPermission := Permission(claims["permission"].(float64))
if share.Permission < claimedPermission {
return nil, &ErrLinkShareTokenInvalid{}
}
return share, nil
}
```
Alternatives: shorter TTL with refresh mechanism, token blocklist, or session tracking matching user token pattern.
References
External links from the advisory. They lead to third-party sites.
- https://github.com/go-vikunja/vikunja/security/advisories/GHSA-96q5-xm3p-7m84
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35594
- https://github.com/go-vikunja/vikunja/pull/2581
- https://github.com/go-vikunja/vikunja/commit/379d8a5c19334ffe4846003f590e202c31a75479
- https://github.com/go-vikunja/vikunja
- https://github.com/go-vikunja/vikunja/releases/tag/v2.3.0