CVE-2023-43656
Matrix Hookshot ≤ 4.5.0
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:LCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2023-43656 is a medium-severity Injection (CWE-74) vulnerability in Matrix Hookshot. Its CVSS base score is 5.6 (Medium).
Operationally, ranked at the 23th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-48045
Vulnerability Data
matrix-hookshot is a Matrix bot for connecting to external services like GitHub, GitLab, JIRA, and more. Instances that have enabled transformation functions (those that have `generic.allowJsTransformationFunctions` in their config), may be vulnerable to an attack where it is possible to…
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break out of the `vm2` sandbox and as a result Hookshot will be vulnerable to this. This problem is only likely to affect users who have allowed untrusted users to apply their own transformation functions. If you have only enabled a limited set of trusted users, this threat is reduced (though not eliminated). Version 4.5.0 and above of hookshot include a new sandbox library which should better protect users. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade should disable `generic.allowJsTransformationFunctions` in the config.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
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.
Developer assessments and testing (including injection-focused techniques) identify improper neutralization of special elements, and the verifiable flaw remediation corrects them pre-deployment.
Identifies indicators of injection attacks (command, SQL, LDAP, etc.) via anomaly and attack monitoring.
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.
Logging supports detection of injection attempts but does not prevent the weakness.
Monitoring activities can identify active injection attacks after they occur.
A.8.25 mandates a secure SDLC process that includes secure coding guidelines, security requirements, checkpoints, testing (scans/penetration), and developer training to reduce injection flaws, but does not itself enforce or guarantee neutralization of special elements at runtime.
Application security requirements explicitly call for controls against injection attacks in software design.
A.8.27 mandates security-by-design principles (including distrust external input, data validation/sanitization, secure architecture layers, and design reviews against attack patterns) that reach injection when applied to output construction; this stops exploitation for a minority slice (e.g. where principles drive sanitization) but leaves most code-level injection defects untouched without further implementation rigor.
Secure coding standards require proper neutralization of special elements, directly addressing CWE-74.
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-74, a class-level weakness, and none of its children carries one either.