MEDIUM CVSS 6.3
Published: 2020-12-01

CVE-2020-26250

jupyter oauthenticator Security Advisory (CVE-2020-26250)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2020-26250 impacting jupyter oauthenticator. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 6.3 (MEDIUM).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
OAuthenticator is an OAuth login mechanism for JupyterHub. In oauthenticator from version 0.12.0 and before 0.12.2, the deprecated (in jupyterhub 1.2) configuration `Authenticator.whitelist`, which should be transparently mapped to `Authenticator.allowed_users` with a warning, is instead ignored by OAuthenticator classes, resulting in the same behavior as if this configuration has not been set. If this is the only mechanism of authorization restriction (i.e. no group or team restrictions in configuration) then all authenticated users will be allowed. Provider-based restrictions, including deprecated values such as `GitHubOAuthenticator.org_whitelist` are **not** affected. All users of OAuthenticator 0.12.0 and 0.12.1 with JupyterHub 1.2 (JupyterHub Helm chart 0.10.0-0.10.5) who use the `admin.whitelist.users` configuration in the jupyterhub helm chart or the `c.Authenticator.whitelist` configuration directly. Users of other deprecated configuration, e.g. `c.GitHubOAuthenticator.team_whitelist` are **not** affected. If you see a log line like this and expect a specific list of allowed usernames: "[I 2020-11-27 16:51:54.528 JupyterHub app:1717] Not using allowed_users. Any authenticated user will be allowed." you are likely affected. Updating oauthenticator to 0.12.2 is recommended. A workaround is to replace the deprecated `c.Authenticator.whitelist = ...` with `c.Authenticator.allowed_users = ...`. If any users have been authorized during this time who should not have been, they must be deleted via the API or admin interface, per the referenced documentation.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
High (AC:H)
Depends on race conditions or environment
Privileges Required
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Changed (S:C)
Impacts components beyond caller authority
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
None (I:N)
No system modification impact
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product jupyter / oauthenticator
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-863

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2020-26250 impacting jupyter oauthenticator.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2020-26250.yaml
id: cve-2020-26250

info:
  name: jupyter oauthenticator - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: medium
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2020-26250 affecting jupyter oauthenticator.
    Evaluation: OAuthenticator is an OAuth login mechanism for JupyterHub. In oauthenticator from version 0.12.0 and before 0.12.2, the deprecated (in jupyterhub 1.2)...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2020-26250
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
    cvss-score: 6.3
    cve-id: CVE-2020-26250
    cwe-id: CWE-863
  tags: cve,cve-2020-26250,jupyter,oauthenticator,medium

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "oauthenticator"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2020-26250.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2020-26250
# Target: jupyter oauthenticator | CVSS: 6.3 (MEDIUM)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2020-26250 (jupyter oauthenticator)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against jupyter oauthenticator scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2020-26250.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2020-26250
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install oauthenticator 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade oauthenticator 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update oauthenticator

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i oauthenticator 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i oauthenticator

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2020-26250 in jupyter oauthenticator?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update jupyter oauthenticator packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2020-26250?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2020-26250?

CVE-2020-26250 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 6.3 (MEDIUM). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
6.3
MEDIUM SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2020-26250
Weakness CWE-863
Vendor jupyter
Product oauthenticator
Published 2020-12-01
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N