Tinyauth: Unauthenticated login attempts can trigger global login lockdown denial of service
### Summary Tinyauth's login rate-limit bookkeeping can enter a global lockdown mode when its in-memory login-attempt map reaches 256 distinct identifiers. Because unauthenticated `POST /api/user/login` requests for unknown usernames are recorded in this same map, a remote unauthenticated attacker can submit 257 unique bogus usernames and cause valid credentials for unrelated users to be treated as locked until `auth.loginTimeout` expires. This was confirmed against the stable `v5.0.7` release. With default configuration, `auth.loginTimeout` is 300 seconds and `auth.loginMaxRetries` is 3, so the denial lasts about 5 minutes and can be repeated. ### Details In stable `v5.0.7`, the login endpoint is registered at `internal/controller/user_controller.go:45` and accepts unauthenticated JSON credentials in `loginHandler` at `internal/controller/user_controller.go:50`. Before validating credentials, it calls `controller.auth.IsAccountLocked(req.Username)` at `internal/controller/user_controller.go:65`. When a username does not exist, the login handler records a failed login attempt for the attacker-controlled username with `controller.auth.RecordLoginAttempt(req.Username, false)` at `internal/controller/user_controller.go:83`. Invalid passwords for existing users do the same at `internal/controller/user_controller.go:94`. The rate-limit map has a hard cap of 256 records at `internal/service/auth_service.go:29`. `RecordLoginAttempt` checks `len(auth.loginAttempts) >= MaxLoginAttempt
GHSA-9xhm-w3wj-xhqh
Primary source · Revision 1
Imported from structured advisory data. Source references identify upstream records or fields; verify affected versions and your deployed configuration.
Security context
Source reference: osv:GHSA-9xhm-w3wj-xhqh
github.com/steveiliop56/tinyauth
Source reference: /affected/0/package/name
- Affected versions
- Not stated in this record
- Fixed versions
- 1.0.1-0.20260715123057-dade1e2c8f27
Source reference:
/affected/0/ranges - Prerequisites
- Not stated in this record
Structured affected-version data
Original package identities and version rules from this source.
[
{
"ranges": [
{
"type": "SEMVER",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "1.0.1-0.20260715123057-dade1e2c8f27"
}
]
}
],
"package": {
"name": "github.com/steveiliop56/tinyauth",
"purl": "pkg:golang/github.com/steveiliop56/tinyauth",
"ecosystem": "Go"
},
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2026/09/GHSA-9xhm-w3wj-xhqh/GHSA-9xhm-w3wj-xhqh.json"
}
}
]- Related CVEs
- CVE-2026-77561
Source reference:
/aliases
Publisher severity
No explicit severity was provided.
- Event
- #63924 · Revision 1
- Added to Heist Feed
- Publisher date