CVE-2024-50052 in Mattermost
Summary
by MITRE • 10/29/2024
Mattermost versions 9.10.x <= 9.10.2, 9.11.x <= 9.11.1, 9.5.x <= 9.5.9 fail to check that the origin of the message in an integration action matches with the original post metadata which allows an authenticated user to delete an arbitrary post.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-50052 represents a critical authorization flaw in Mattermost collaborative platforms affecting multiple release versions including 9.10.x through 9.10.2, 9.11.x through 9.11.1, and 9.5.x through 9.5.9. This issue stems from inadequate validation of message origins within integration action processing mechanisms, creating a scenario where authenticated users can exploit a missing security check to delete posts they should not have access to. The flaw resides in the platform's failure to properly verify that integration actions originate from legitimate sources that match the original post metadata, essentially allowing privilege escalation through unauthorized post deletion operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the integration action framework within Mattermost where the system should validate that incoming action requests correspond to the original post metadata and origin. When an authenticated user crafts a malicious integration action request, the platform fails to cross-reference the request origin with the original post's metadata, enabling the attacker to manipulate the system into executing delete operations on arbitrary posts. This validation gap creates a path for authenticated attackers to bypass normal access controls and perform unauthorized deletions across the platform's message repository. The vulnerability specifically targets the message origin verification process within integration workflows, where proper origin checking should prevent unauthorized modifications to posts created by other users.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Mattermost for collaborative communication and document management. An authenticated attacker could systematically delete important messages, collaboration artifacts, or sensitive information from channels, potentially disrupting workflows and compromising data integrity. The scope of impact extends beyond individual posts to include potential disruption of team collaboration processes, loss of audit trails, and possible compliance violations. Organizations may experience operational downtime as teams work to recover deleted content, and the vulnerability could be exploited to remove evidence of malicious activities or important business communications. The attack vector requires only authentication access to the platform, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by insiders or compromised user accounts.
Security mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-50052 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Mattermost versions to the latest stable releases that contain the necessary origin validation fixes. Organizations should implement additional monitoring controls to detect unusual deletion patterns and establish automated alerts for unauthorized post removal activities. Network segmentation and access control policies should be reviewed to limit the scope of impact from compromised accounts, while regular security assessments should verify proper integration action validation mechanisms are functioning. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and could be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1485 (Data Destruction) when exploited for malicious deletion purposes. System administrators should also consider implementing write-ahead logging or similar data protection mechanisms to preserve recoverable versions of deleted content, and conduct thorough security training for users to recognize potential exploitation attempts.