Security Resilience

CVE-2023-32683

SSRF in Matrix Synapse ≤ 1.85.0

SSRFAccess Control
Published
06 June 2023
Modified
21 November 2024
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 3.5
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
EPSS Score 0.0060 48th percentile
Risk Priority 32 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2023-32683 is a low-severity Incorrect Authorization (CWE-863) vulnerability in Matrix Synapse. Its CVSS base score is 3.5 (Low).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique LSASS Memory (T1003.001); ranked at the 48th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A01:2025 Broken Access Control

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Synapse is a Matrix protocol homeserver written in Python with the Twisted framework. A discovered oEmbed or image URL can bypass the `url_preview_url_blacklist` setting potentially allowing server side request forgery or bypassing network policies. Impact is limited to IP addresses…

more

allowed by the `url_preview_ip_range_blacklist` setting (by default this only allows public IPs) and by the limited information returned to the client: 1. For discovered oEmbed URLs, any non-JSON response or a JSON response which includes non-oEmbed information is discarded. 2. For discovered image URLs, any non-image response is discarded. Systems which have URL preview disabled (via the `url_preview_enabled` setting) or have not configured a `url_preview_url_blacklist` are not affected. This issue has been addressed in version 1.85.0. Users are advised to upgrade. User unable to upgrade may also disable URL previews.

CWE(s)
CWE-863CWE-918

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1003.001 LSASS Memory Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access credential material stored in the process memory of the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS).
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.005 Cached Domain Credentials Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access cached domain credentials used to allow authentication to occur in the event a domain controller is unavailable.
attack.mitre.org →
T1021.001 Remote Desktop Protocol Lateral Movement
Adversaries may use [Valid Accounts](https://attack.
attack.mitre.org →
T1021.002 SMB/Windows Admin Shares Lateral Movement
Adversaries may use [Valid Accounts](https://attack.
attack.mitre.org →
T1021.004 SSH Lateral Movement
Adversaries may use [Valid Accounts](https://attack.
attack.mitre.org →
T1021.007 Cloud Services Lateral Movement
Adversaries may log into accessible cloud services within a compromised environment using [Valid Accounts](https://attack.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2026-46717Shared CWE-863, CWE-918
CVE-2026-106498Shared CWE-863, CWE-918
CVE-2026-41689Shared CWE-863, CWE-918
CVE-2026-63443Shared CWE-863, CWE-918
CVE-2026-42313Shared CWE-863, CWE-918
CVE-2024-46947Shared CWE-918
CVE-2026-77108Shared CWE-863
CVE-2026-87090Shared CWE-863
CVE-2023-33651Shared CWE-863
CVE-2025-43230Shared CWE-863

Affected Assets

matrix
synapse
≤ 1.85.0

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

—

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V1.3.6
  • V1.5.3
  • V5.3.2
  • V10.4.7

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

SC-7 Boundary Protection
addresses: CWE-863 CWE-918

Incorrect authorization decisions are enforced or detected at external and key internal managed interfaces.

AC-1 Policy and Procedures
addresses: CWE-863

Periodic review and update of procedures reduces incorrect authorization implementations over time.

AC-13 Supervision and Review — Access Control
addresses: CWE-863

Supervision identifies cases where authorization logic incorrectly permits unauthorized actions.

AC-16 Security and Privacy Attributes
addresses: CWE-863

Defining permitted attribute values and auditing modifications reduces the chance of incorrect authorization outcomes due to tampered or missing labels.

AC-17 Remote Access
addresses: CWE-863

The authorization process and usage restrictions help prevent incorrect authorization for remote access types.

AC-18 Wireless Access
addresses: CWE-863

Establishing configuration and connection requirements helps ensure correct rather than incorrect authorization for wireless access.

AC-19 Access Control for Mobile Devices
addresses: CWE-863

Establishing connection authorization processes for mobile devices helps ensure authorization decisions are correctly implemented rather than incorrect.

AC-2 Account Management
addresses: CWE-863

Monitoring account use, notifying on changes, and reviewing accounts for compliance corrects incorrect authorization assignments.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

DE.CM-09 partial match
blocks

Runtime monitoring of web applications and services can detect anomalous outbound requests indicative of SSRF.

ID.RA-01 partial match
blocks

Vulnerability identification processes can discover and record SSRF flaws in web applications.

PR.IR-01 partial match
blocks

Network segmentation and egress controls can limit the damage from successful SSRF requests.

PR.PS-06 partial match
blocks

Secure development practices directly include input validation and destination allow-listing that prevent SSRF.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.5.1 Policies for information security partial match
removes
A.5.14 Information transfer partial match
removes
A.5.15 Access control partial match
blocks

Requiring consistency between access rights and classification plus formal approval steps ensures that the authorization logic correctly distinguishes between entities that should and should not be granted access.

A.5.16 Identity management partial match
removes
A.5.17 Authentication information partial match
removes
A.5.18 Access rights partial match
blocks

A.5.18's provisioning, revocation, review and adjustment of access rights (incl. before role changes/termination, with segregation and owner approval) directly stops incorrect authorization decisions from being exploitable in the vast majority of cases; the bounded remainder is incorrectness inside the authorization logic itself (e.g. flawed conditional or missing check) rather than rights that were wrongly granted.

Hardening callouts derived

DISA STIG baselines are authored against specific weaknesses. Where this CVE cites a broad weakness class, the mapping is not asserted at that abstraction (owner ruling, 2026-09-25: grade only at Base and below), so no rule is shown here rather than a rule shown against the wrong grain.

  • No fine-grained STIG row for CWE-863, a class-level weakness, and none of its children carries one either.

References