CVE-2025-27154

Remediation/Mitigation Strategy: CVE-2025-27154 - Spotipy Cache File Permissions Vulnerability

This document outlines the vulnerability, severity, potential exploitation, and remediation/mitigation steps for CVE-2025-27154, affecting the Spotipy Python library.

1. Vulnerability Description

  • Vulnerability: Insecure default file permissions for the Spotipy CacheHandler cache file.
  • Affected Component: Spotipy CacheHandler class.
  • Description: The CacheHandler in Spotipy (versions prior to 2.25.1) creates a cache file used to store the Spotify authentication token. By default, this file is created with read permissions for all users on the system (rw-r--r-- or 644). This allows other users or processes running as other users on the same machine to read the token.
  • Impact: If an attacker gains access to this token, they can impersonate the Spotify user associated with the token and perform actions within the scope granted to the token. This could include accessing playlists, modifying the user’s profile, or potentially even more sensitive actions, depending on the token’s granted scopes.

2. Severity

  • CVSS Score: 8.4 (High)
  • CVSS Vector: (Based on available information and typical scenarios for similar vulnerabilities. This is an assumption since a full vector isn’t provided) CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
  • Explanation:
    • Attack Vector (AV:L): Local. An attacker needs local access to the machine where the Spotify token is stored.
    • Attack Complexity (AC:L): Low. Reading the file is a straightforward operation.
    • Privileges Required (PR:N): None. No special privileges are required to read a world-readable file.
    • User Interaction (UI:N): None. No user interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability.
    • Scope (S:U): Unchanged. An attacker can only impact the Spotify user account.
    • Confidentiality Impact (C:H): High. The authentication token is exposed.
    • Integrity Impact (I:H): High. An attacker can modify the Spotify user’s data within the granted scopes.
    • Availability Impact (A:N): None. The vulnerability does not directly affect the availability of the Spotify service.

3. Known Exploit

  • Exploitability: Exploitation is relatively straightforward. Any user on the system can simply read the cache file if they know its location.
  • Exploit Scenario:
    1. An attacker gains access (e.g., shell access, remote code execution) to a machine where a Spotify application using Spotipy is running.
    2. The attacker locates the Spotipy cache file. (Its location will depend on how CacheHandler is configured, but often a default location within the user’s home directory is used).
    3. The attacker reads the file and extracts the Spotify authentication token.
    4. The attacker uses the token to authenticate as the compromised Spotify user and performs actions within the token’s scope.

4. Remediation/Mitigation Strategy

The primary remediation is to upgrade to Spotipy version 2.25.1 or later. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, a manual mitigation can be implemented.

A. Recommended Solution: Upgrade Spotipy

  • Action: Upgrade the Spotipy library to version 2.25.1 or later.
  • Command: pip install -U spotipy
  • Rationale: Version 2.25.1 tightens the default permissions of the cache file to rw------- (600), preventing other users from reading it.
  • Verification: After upgrading, confirm that newly created cache files have the correct permissions (rw-------).

B. Alternative Mitigation (If Upgrade is Not Immediately Possible): Change File Permissions Manually

  • Action: Locate the existing Spotipy cache file and change its permissions to rw------- (600). You will need appropriate privileges to do this.
  • Steps:

    1. Locate the Cache File: The location depends on how the CacheHandler is configured. Check the Spotipy code for the specific application or consult Spotipy documentation for default locations. Common locations include directories within the user’s home directory (e.g., .cache/spotipy).

    2. Change Permissions: Use the chmod command to change the file permissions. For example, if the cache file is located at ~/.cache/spotipy_token, run:

          chmod 600 ~/.cache/spotipy_token
*   **Rationale:**  Changing the permissions manually prevents other users from reading the authentication token, mitigating the risk of unauthorized access to the Spotify account.

C. Additional Security Best Practices

  • Principle of Least Privilege: When granting scopes to the Spotify application, only request the minimum necessary permissions.
  • Regularly Review and Rotate Tokens: Consider implementing a mechanism to regularly refresh or rotate the Spotify authentication token.
  • Secure Coding Practices: Always follow secure coding practices to prevent vulnerabilities like hardcoded secrets or information disclosure in log files.
  • Monitor for Suspicious Activity: Monitor the affected Spotify accounts for any suspicious activity that could indicate compromise. This could include unauthorized playlist changes, unusual listening patterns, or profile modifications.

D. Verification and Validation

After applying the remediation or mitigation, verify the following:

  • Permissions are Correct: Confirm that the cache file permissions are set to rw------- (600).
  • Application Still Functions: Ensure that the Spotipy application continues to function correctly after the permissions change.
  • Monitor for Anomalies: Monitor affected systems and Spotify accounts for any unusual behavior.

This remediation/mitigation strategy provides a comprehensive approach to addressing the Spotipy cache file permissions vulnerability (CVE-2025-27154). Prioritize upgrading to Spotipy version 2.25.1 or later for the most effective and permanent solution. If a manual mitigation is implemented, diligently follow the steps and regularly review its effectiveness.

Assigner

Date

  • Published Date: 2025-02-27 13:53:54
  • Updated Date: 2025-02-27 15:15:42

More Details

CVE-2025-27154