CVE-2023-30845: ESPv2 is a service proxy that provides API management capabilities using Google Service Infrastructure. ESPv2 2.20.0 through 2.42.0 contains an authen...

Description

ESPv2 is a service proxy that provides API management capabilities using Google Service Infrastructure. ESPv2 2.20.0 through 2.42.0 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability. API clients can craft a malicious `X-HTTP-Method-Override` header value to bypass JWT authentication in specific cases. ESPv2 allows malicious requests to bypass authentication if both the conditions are true: The requested HTTP method is **not** in the API service definition (OpenAPI spec or gRPC `google.api.http` proto annotations, and the specified `X-HTTP-Method-Override` is a valid HTTP method in the API service definition. ESPv2 will forward the request to your backend without checking the JWT. Attackers can craft requests with a malicious `X-HTTP-Method-Override` value that allows them to bypass specifying JWTs. Restricting API access with API keys works as intended and is not affected by this vulnerability. Upgrade deployments to release v2.43.0 or higher to receive a patch. This release ensures that JWT authentication occurs, even when the caller specifies `x-http-method-override`. `x-http-method-override` is still supported by v2.43.0+. API clients can continue sending this header to ESPv2.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.66%

46.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-287

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Google	Espv2	>= 2.20.0, < 2.43.0

References

Timeline

Published: Apr 26, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-30845?

ESPv2 is a service proxy that provides API management capabilities using Google Service Infrastructure. ESPv2 2.20.0 through 2.42.0 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability. API clients can craft a malicious `X-HTTP-Method-Override` header value to bypass JWT authentication in specific cases. ESPv2 allows malicious requests to bypass authentication if both the conditions are true: The requested HTTP method is **not** in the API service definition (OpenAPI spec or gRPC `google.api.http` proto annotations, and the specified `X-HTTP-Method-Override` is a valid HTTP method in the API service definition. ESPv2 will forward the request to your backend without checking the JWT. Attackers can craft requests with a malicious `X-HTTP-Method-Override` value that allows them to bypass specifying JWTs. Restricting API access with API keys works as intended and is not affected by this vulnerability. Upgrade deployments to release v2.43.0 or higher to receive a patch. This release ensures that JWT authentication occurs, even when the caller specifies `x-http-method-override`. `x-http-method-override` is still supported by v2.43.0+. API clients can continue sending this header to ESPv2.

How severe is CVE-2023-30845?

CVE-2023-30845 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.66% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-30845?

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.