Authentication Bypass in Capgo Allows Password Change Without Current Password

Executive Summary

Capgo versions before 12.128.2 contain an authentication bypass vulnerability in the password change endpoint. This flaw occurs because the system does not require confirmation of the current password when changing to a new one.

Attackers who have temporary access to a user session—such as through stolen cookies, shared device access, cross-site scripting (XSS), or exposed tokens—can exploit this vulnerability to change the user's password without knowing the original password.

This allows attackers to permanently lock out legitimate users and take full control of their accounts.

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Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can have severe impacts including full account takeover by attackers.

• Attackers can lock out legitimate users permanently by changing their passwords without authorization.
• Compromised accounts can be misused for unauthorized financial transactions, internal operations, or accessing sensitive data.
• Users face operational burdens such as recovery requests and manual password resets.
• The platform may suffer reputational damage and operational disruptions.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability exposes the platform to regulatory non-compliance risks.

By allowing unauthorized account takeovers and potential access to sensitive personal or protected health information, it can lead to violations of standards such as GDPR and HIPAA.

Such breaches can result in legal penalties, loss of trust, and increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies.

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Mitigation Strategies

Immediate mitigation steps include implementing mandatory current password verification during password changes to prevent unauthorized updates.

Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) triggers for password changes to add an additional layer of security.

Invalidate user sessions immediately after a password update to prevent continued access with compromised sessions.

Set up real-time user notifications for password changes to alert users of any unauthorized activity.

Enhance auditing and implement anomaly detection to identify suspicious password change attempts.

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