CVE-2026-23964
Unknown Unknown - Not Provided
BaseFortify

Publication date: 2026-01-22

Last updated on: 2026-02-02

Assigner: GitHub, Inc.

Description
Mastodon is a free, open-source social network server based on ActivityPub. Prior to versions 4.5.5, 4.4.12, and 4.3.18, an insecure direct object reference in the web push subscription update endpoint lets any authenticated user update another user's push subscription by guessing or obtaining the numeric subscription id. This can be used to disrupt push notifications for other users and also leaks the web push subscription endpoint. Any user with a web push subscription is impacted, because another authenticated user can tamper with their push subscription settings if they can guess or obtain the subscription id. This allows an attacker to disrupt push notifications by changing the policy (whether to filter notifications from non-followers or non-followed users) and subscribed notification types of their victims. Additionally, the endpoint returns the subscription object, which includes the push notification endpoint for this subscription, but not its keypair. Mastodon versions v4.5.5, v4.4.12, v4.3.18 are patched.
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Meta Information
Published
2026-01-22
Last Modified
2026-02-02
Generated
2026-05-07
AI Q&A
2026-01-22
EPSS Evaluated
2026-05-05
NVD
EUVD
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 3 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
joinmastodon mastodon to 4.3.18 (exc)
joinmastodon mastodon From 4.4.0 (inc) to 4.4.12 (exc)
joinmastodon mastodon From 4.5.0 (inc) to 4.5.5 (exc)
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-863 The product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check.
CWE-639 The system's authorization functionality does not prevent one user from gaining access to another user's data or record by modifying the key value identifying the data.
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?

CVE-2026-23964 is an insecure direct object reference (IDOR) vulnerability in Mastodon's web push subscription update endpoint. It allows any authenticated user to update another user's push notification subscription by guessing or obtaining the numeric subscription ID. This means an attacker can tamper with other users' push notification settings, such as filtering policies and notification types, and can also obtain the push notification endpoint URL associated with the subscription. [1]


How can this vulnerability impact me? :

This vulnerability can impact you by allowing an attacker to disrupt your push notifications on Mastodon. An attacker who is authenticated can change your push subscription settings, potentially filtering out notifications you would normally receive or altering the types of notifications you get. Additionally, the attacker can obtain your push notification endpoint URL, which may lead to privacy concerns. However, the vulnerability does not expose keypairs or cause availability issues. [1]


How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?

This vulnerability can be detected by monitoring requests to the web push subscription update endpoint for suspicious activity, such as authenticated users attempting to update push subscriptions with numeric subscription IDs that do not belong to them. Network traffic analysis tools or web server logs can be used to identify such unauthorized update attempts. Specific commands are not provided in the resources. [1]


What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?

Immediate mitigation steps include upgrading Mastodon to versions v4.3.18, v4.4.12, or v4.5.5 where the vulnerability has been patched. Until the upgrade is applied, restrict access to the web push subscription update endpoint to trusted users only and monitor for suspicious activity related to push subscription updates. [1]


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