VYPR
Critical severityNVD Advisory· Published Aug 4, 2023· Updated Oct 8, 2024

Sydent does not verify email server certificates

CVE-2023-38686

Description

Sydent is an identity server for the Matrix communications protocol. Prior to version 2.5.6, if configured to send emails using TLS, Sydent does not verify SMTP servers' certificates. This makes Sydent's emails vulnerable to interception via a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack. Attackers with privileged access to the network can intercept room invitations and address confirmation emails. This is patched in Sydent 2.5.6. When patching, make sure that Sydent trusts the certificate of the server it is connecting to. This should happen automatically when using properly issued certificates. Those who use self-signed certificates should make sure to copy their Certification Authority certificate, or their self signed certificate if using only one, to the trust store of your operating system. As a workaround, one can ensure Sydent's emails fail to send by setting the configured SMTP server to a loopback or non-routable address under one's control which does not have a listening SMTP server.

AI Insight

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Affected packages

Versions sourced from the GitHub Security Advisory.

PackageAffected versionsPatched versions
matrix-sydentPyPI
< 2.5.62.5.6

Affected products

2

Patches

Vulnerability mechanics

References

11

News mentions

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