CVE-2024-40441
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Doccano's annotation tools allows remote attackers to escalate privileges via the model_attribs parameter. It affects users of Doccano v1.8.4 and the Auto Labeling Pipeline module v0.1.23. Attackers could gain unauthorized administrative access to the annotation platform.
💻 Affected Systems
- Doccano
- Doccano Auto Labeling Pipeline
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise where attacker gains administrative control, accesses sensitive annotated data, modifies machine learning datasets, and potentially deploys backdoors.
Likely Case
Unauthorized privilege escalation leading to data theft, manipulation of annotation projects, and disruption of machine learning workflows.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation and access controls, potentially only affecting isolated annotation environments.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires some level of access to the application. The vulnerability is in the CWE-918 (Server-Side Request Forgery) category, suggesting manipulation of the model_attribs parameter leads to privilege escalation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Doccano v1.8.5+, Auto Labeling Pipeline v0.1.24+
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/doccano/doccano/releases/tag/v1.8.5
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Backup your Doccano data and configuration. 2. Update Doccano to v1.8.5 or later using pip: 'pip install doccano==1.8.5'. 3. Update Auto Labeling Pipeline to v0.1.24 or later: 'pip install doccano-autolabeling-pipeline==0.1.24'. 4. Restart the Doccano service.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Isolation
linuxRestrict network access to Doccano instances to only trusted users and networks.
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8000 -s trusted_network -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8000 -j DROP
Access Control Hardening
allImplement strict authentication and authorization controls, limiting user privileges to minimum necessary levels.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate Doccano instances in a segmented network with no internet access.
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block suspicious model_attribs parameter manipulations.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Doccano version via web interface admin panel or run: 'python -c "import doccano; print(doccano.__version__)"' and compare to v1.8.4.Check Version:
For Doccano: 'python -c "import doccano; print(doccano.__version__)"'. For Auto Labeling Pipeline: 'python -c "import doccano_autolabeling_pipeline; print(doccano_autolabeling_pipeline.__version__)"'Verify Fix Applied:
After update, verify version is v1.8.5 or higher and Auto Labeling Pipeline is v0.1.24 or higher using version check commands.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual privilege escalation attempts in application logs
- Suspicious model_attribs parameter values in request logs
- Multiple failed login attempts followed by successful admin access
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected outbound connections from Doccano server
- Anomalous HTTP requests containing manipulated model_attribs parameters
SIEM Query:
source="doccano_logs" AND (event="privilege_escalation" OR param="model_attribs" AND value CONTAINS suspicious_pattern)