CVE-2023-22481: FreshRSS is a self-hosted RSS feed aggregator. When using the greader API, the provided password is logged in clear in `users/_/log_api.txt` in the ca...

Description

FreshRSS is a self-hosted RSS feed aggregator. When using the greader API, the provided password is logged in clear in `users/_/log_api.txt` in the case where the authentication fails. The issues occurs in `authorizationToUser()` in `greader.php`. If there is an issue with the request or the credentials, `unauthorized()` or `badRequest()` is called. Both these functions are printing the return of `debugInfo()` in the logs. `debugInfo()` will return the content of the request. By default, this will be saved in `users/_/log_api.txt` and if the const `COPY_LOG_TO_SYSLOG` is true, in syslogs as well. Exploiting this issue requires having access to logs produced by FreshRSS. Using the information from the logs, a malicious individual could get users' API keys (would be displayed if the users fills in a bad username) or passwords.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.47%

37.4th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-532

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Freshrss	Freshrss	>= 1.9.0, < 1.21.0

References

https://github.com/FreshRSS/FreshRSS/commit/075cf4c800063e3cc65c3d41a9c23222e8ebb554Patch
https://github.com/FreshRSS/FreshRSS/security/advisories/GHSA-8vvv-jxg6-8578Exploit, Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/FreshRSS/FreshRSS/commit/075cf4c800063e3cc65c3d41a9c23222e8ebb554Patch
https://github.com/FreshRSS/FreshRSS/security/advisories/GHSA-8vvv-jxg6-8578Exploit, Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Mar 6, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-22481?

FreshRSS is a self-hosted RSS feed aggregator. When using the greader API, the provided password is logged in clear in `users/_/log_api.txt` in the case where the authentication fails. The issues occurs in `authorizationToUser()` in `greader.php`. If there is an issue with the request or the credentials, `unauthorized()` or `badRequest()` is called. Both these functions are printing the return of `debugInfo()` in the logs. `debugInfo()` will return the content of the request. By default, this will be saved in `users/_/log_api.txt` and if the const `COPY_LOG_TO_SYSLOG` is true, in syslogs as well. Exploiting this issue requires having access to logs produced by FreshRSS. Using the information from the logs, a malicious individual could get users' API keys (would be displayed if the users fills in a bad username) or passwords.

How severe is CVE-2023-22481?

CVE-2023-22481 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.47% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-22481?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.