CVE-2023-41896
Fake websocket server installation permits full takeover in Home Assistant Core
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- GitHub_M
Description
Home assistant is an open source home automation. Whilst auditing the frontend code to identify hidden parameters, Cure53 detected `auth_callback=1`, which is leveraged by the WebSocket authentication logic in tandem with the `state` parameter. The state parameter contains the `hassUrl`, which is subsequently utilized to establish a WebSocket connection. This behavior permits an attacker to create a malicious Home Assistant link with a modified state parameter that forces the frontend to connect to an alternative WebSocket backend. Henceforth, the attacker can spoof any WebSocket responses and trigger cross site scripting (XSS). Since the XSS is executed on the actual Home Assistant frontend domain, it can connect to the real Home Assistant backend, which essentially represents a comprehensive takeover scenario. Permitting the site to be iframed by other origins, as discussed in GHSA-935v-rmg9-44mw, renders this exploit substantially covert since a malicious website can obfuscate the compromise strategy in the background. However, even without this, the attacker can still send the `auth_callback` link directly to the victim user. To mitigate this issue, Cure53 advises modifying the WebSocket code’s authentication flow. An optimal implementation in this regard would not trust the `hassUrl` passed in by a GET parameter. Cure53 must stipulate the significant time required of the Cure53 consultants to identify an XSS vector, despite holding full control over the WebSocket responses. In many areas, data from the WebSocket was properly sanitized, which hinders post-exploitation. The audit team eventually detected the `js_url` for custom panels, though generally, the frontend exhibited reasonable security hardening. This issue has been addressed in Home Assistant Core version 2023.8.0 and in the npm package home-assistant-js-websocket in version 8.2.0. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
Timeline
ID reserved
By GitHub_M
- 45 days later
· 45 days later
Published
- 11 months later
· 11 months later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_MCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | High7.1 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.1 | Critical9.0 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.32% · top 75% of all CVEs (7 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: none · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.1.
Weakness
Affected products
- affected Home Assistant Core : < 2023.8.0
- affected home-assistant-js-websocket: < 8.2.0
References (2)
- https://github.com/home-assistant/core/security/advisories/GHSA-cr83-q7r2-7f5q (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://github.com/home-assistant/core/security/advisories/GHSA-935v-rmg9-44mw (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2023-41896)Record last updated .