HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2023-38690
CRITICAL

CVE-2023-38690

CWE-20Published: August 4, 2023· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

matrix-appservice-irc is a Node.js IRC bridge for Matrix. Prior to version 1.0.1, it is possible to craft a command with newlines which would not be properly parsed. This would mean you could pass a string of commands as a channel name, which would then be run by the IRC bridge bot. Versions 1.0.1 and above are patched. There are no robust workarounds to the bug. One may disable dynamic channels in the config to disable the most common execution method but others may exist.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2023-38690 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

matrix1 product(s)
matrix irc bridge
Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttps://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-appservice-irc/commit/0afb064635d37e039067b5b3d6423448b93026d3
PATCHhttps://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-appservice-irc/commit/0afb064635d37e039067b5b3d6423448b93026d3
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-appservice-irc/security/advisories/GHSA-3pmj-jqqp-2mj3
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-appservice-irc/security/advisories/GHSA-3pmj-jqqp-2mj3

All References (6)

→
https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-appservice-irc/commit/0afb064635d37e039067b5b3d6423448b93026d3Patch
→
https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-appservice-irc/releases/tag/1.0.1Release Notes
→
https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-appservice-irc/security/advisories/GHSA-3pmj-jqqp-2mj3Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-appservice-irc/commit/0afb064635d37e039067b5b3d6423448b93026d3Patch
→
https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-appservice-irc/releases/tag/1.0.1Release Notes
→
https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-appservice-irc/security/advisories/GHSA-3pmj-jqqp-2mj3Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2023-38690
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-20
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedAug 4, 2023

Related CVEs (CWE-20)

CVE-2008-1331
10.0
CVE-2007-6176
10.0
CVE-2007-6494
10.0
CVE-2008-6826
10.0
CVE-2003-1425
10.0
CVE-2008-6555
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2023-38690 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWatch. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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