CVE-2025-4036
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an authorization bypass vulnerability in Novel 3.5.0 that allows attackers to remotely manipulate book chapters without proper authentication. The vulnerability affects the updateBookChapter function in AuthorController.java, enabling unauthorized access to chapter management functionality. Users running Novel 3.5.0 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Novel
📦 What is this software?
Novel by Xxyopen
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could modify, delete, or inject malicious content into book chapters, potentially compromising data integrity and enabling content manipulation attacks.
Likely Case
Unauthorized users gain access to modify book chapters they shouldn't have permission to edit, leading to content tampering and potential data corruption.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and authentication mechanisms, only authorized users can modify chapters, maintaining data integrity.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploit details have been publicly disclosed on GitHub. The vulnerability requires some authentication but bypasses authorization checks.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Unknown
Vendor Advisory: None available
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Monitor the official Novel repository for security updates
2. Apply any available patches for Novel 3.5.0
3. Restart the application after patching
4. Verify the fix by testing authorization controls
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Implement Custom Authorization Middleware
allAdd additional authorization checks before the updateBookChapter function executes
# Add custom authorization interceptor in Spring configuration
# Implement role-based access control for chapter updates
Network Access Restrictions
linuxRestrict access to the Novel application to trusted networks only
# Example iptables rule for Linux
# iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [NOVEL_PORT] -s [TRUSTED_NETWORK] -j ACCEPT
# iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [NOVEL_PORT] -j DROP
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block unauthorized access to chapter update endpoints
- Enable detailed logging and monitoring for all chapter update attempts and implement alerting for suspicious activity
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if running Novel version 3.5.0 and test if unauthorized users can access chapter update functionalityCheck Version:
Check application configuration or build files for version informationVerify Fix Applied:
Test authorization controls by attempting to update chapters with unauthorized user accounts - should receive access denied📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized access attempts to /author/chapter/update endpoints
- Failed authorization logs for chapter updates
- Successful chapter updates from unexpected user accounts
Network Indicators:
- HTTP POST requests to chapter update endpoints from unauthorized sources
- Unusual patterns in chapter modification traffic
SIEM Query:
source="novel_logs" AND (uri_path="/author/chapter/update" OR message="authorization failed") AND user_role!="author"🔗 References
- https://github.com/Sinon2003/cve/blob/main/novel/Novel%20%20has%20a%20logic%20authorization%20bypass%20vulnerability%20in%20AuthorController.md
- https://vuldb.com/?ctiid.306401
- https://vuldb.com/?id.306401
- https://vuldb.com/?submit.558414
- https://github.com/Sinon2003/cve/blob/main/novel/Novel%20%20has%20a%20logic%20authorization%20bypass%20vulnerability%20in%20AuthorController.md
