CVE-2023-31138
DHIS2 Core vulnerable to Improper Access Control with PATCH requests
CVE-2023-31138 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.1) in Dhis2 Dhis2-core, published May 9, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.61%, the 49th percentile. No source names a fixed version.
- Severity
- 7.1 HighCVSS 3.1, CVE List
- Exploit chance
- 0.61%EPSS, 49th percentile
- Exploitation
- None knownNot on CISA’s or ENISA’s lists
- Fixed in
- No fix listedNo source names one
Description
DHIS2 Core contains the service layer and Web API for DHIS2, an information system for data capture. Starting in the 2.36 branch and prior to versions 2.37.9.1, 2.38.3.1, and 2.39.1.2, using object model traversal in the payload of a PATCH request, authenticated users with write access to an object may be able to modify related objects that they should not have access to. DHIS2 implementers should upgrade to a supported version of DHIS2 to receive a patch: 2.37.9.1, 2.38.3.1, or 2.39.1.2. It is possible to work around this issue by blocking all PATCH requests on a reverse proxy, but this may cause some issues with the functionality of built-in applications using legacy PATCH requests.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- Low
Exploit likelihood
Affected products
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
DHIS2 Core vulnerable to Improper Access Control with PATCH requests
DHIS2 Core contains the service layer and Web API for DHIS2, an information system for data capture. Starting in the 2.36 branch and prior to versions 2.37.9.1, 2.38.3.1, and 2.39.1.2, using object model traversal in the payload of a PATCH request, authenticated users with write access to an object may be able to modify related objects that they should not have access to. DHIS2 implementers should upgrade to a supported version of DHIS2 to receive a patch: 2.37.9.1, 2.38.3.1, or 2.39.1.2. It is possible to work around this issue by blocking all PATCH requests on a reverse proxy, but this may cause some issues with the functionality of built-in applications using legacy PATCH requests.
- Record
CVE-2023-31138- CVSS 3.1
- 7.1 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-284, CWE-863
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-35458
DHIS2 Core contains the service layer and Web API for DHIS2, an information system for data capture. Starting in the 2.36 branch and prior to versions 2.37.9.1, 2.38.3.1, and 2.39.1.2, using object model traversal in the payload of a PATCH request, authenticated users with write access to an object may be able to modify related objects that they should not have access to. DHIS2 implementers should upgrade to a supported version of DHIS2 to receive a patch: 2.37.9.1, 2.38.3.1, or 2.39.1.2. It is possible to work around this issue by blocking all PATCH requests on a reverse proxy, but this may cause some issues with the functionality of built-in applications using legacy PATCH requests.
- Record
EUVD-2023-35458- CVSS 3.1
- 7.1 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L - Updated
- 2026-11-03
NVD
DHIS2 Core contains the service layer and Web API for DHIS2, an information system for data capture. Starting in the 2.36 branch and prior to versions 2.37.9.1, 2.38.3.1, and 2.39.1.2, using object model traversal in the payload of a PATCH request, authenticated users with write access to an object may be able to modify related objects that they should not have access to. DHIS2 implementers should upgrade to a supported version of DHIS2 to receive a patch: 2.37.9.1, 2.38.3.1, or 2.39.1.2. It is possible to work around this issue by blocking all PATCH requests on a reverse proxy, but this may cause some issues with the functionality of built-in applications using legacy PATCH requests.
- Record
CVE-2023-31138- CVSS 3.1
- 7.1 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L - CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-284, CWE-863
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
DHIS2 Core vulnerable to Improper Access Control with PATCH requests
DHIS2 Core contains the service layer and Web API for DHIS2, an information system for data capture. Starting in the 2.36 branch and prior to versions 2.37.9.1, 2.38.3.1, and 2.39.1.2, using object model traversal in the payload of a PATCH request, authenticated users with write access to an object may be able to modify related objects that they should not have access to. DHIS2 implementers should upgrade to a supported version of DHIS2 to receive a patch: 2.37.9.1, 2.38.3.1, or 2.39.1.2. It is possible to work around this issue by blocking all PATCH requests on a reverse proxy, but this may cause some issues with the functionality of built-in applications using legacy PATCH requests.
- Record
CVE-2023-31138- CVSS 3.1
- 7.1 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-284, CWE-863
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
References
github.com/dhis2/dhis2-core/security/advisories/GHSA-pwvw-4m67-f4g2
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-31138