CVE-2022-39248
matrix-android-sdk2 vulnerable to Olm/Megolm protocol confusion
- State
- Published
- Severity
- 8.6 High
- Published
- Sep 28, 2022
- Updated
- Apr 23, 2025
- Reserved
- Sep 2, 2022
Description
matrix-android-sdk2 is the Matrix SDK for Android. Prior to version 1.5.1, an attacker cooperating with a malicious homeserver can construct messages that legitimately appear to have come from another person, without any indication such as a grey shield. Additionally, a sophisticated attacker cooperating with a malicious homeserver could employ this vulnerability to perform a targeted attack in order to send fake to-device messages appearing to originate from another user. This can allow, for example, to inject the key backup secret during a self-verification, to make a targeted device start using a malicious key backup spoofed by the homeserver. matrix-android-sdk2 would then additionally sign such a key backup with its device key, spilling trust over to other devices trusting the matrix-android-sdk2 device. These attacks are possible due to a protocol confusion vulnerability that accepts to-device messages encrypted with Megolm instead of Olm. matrix-android-sdk2 version 1.5.1 has been modified to only accept Olm-encrypted to-device messages and to stop signing backups on a successful decryption. Out of caution, several other checks have been audited or added. This attack requires coordination between a malicious home server and an attacker, so those who trust their home servers do not need a workaround.
Scores
| CVSS | Score | Vector | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | 8.6 High | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N | GitHub_M |
Weaknesses
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
matrix-android-sdk2matrix-org |
|
References
- https://matrix.org/blog/2022/09/28/upgrade-now-to-address-encryption-vulns-in-matrix-sdks-and-clients
- https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-android-sdk2/commit/77df720a238d17308deab83ecaa37f7a4740a17e
- https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-android-sdk2/releases/tag/v1.5.1
- https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-android-sdk2/security/advisories/GHSA-fpgf-pjjv-2qgm
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