CVE-2026-62382 in PasswordPusher
Summary
by MITRE • 08/22/2026
PasswordPusher versions v1.45.11 through v2.9.5 contain an improper authorization vulnerability in the push deletion logic. The ownership check compares @push.user against current_user; for an anonymously created push both values are nil, and Ruby evaluates nil == nil as true, so the check passes and the deletable_by_viewer restriction is never enforced. An attacker who knows only the secret URL can permanently delete an anonymous push even when the creator disabled viewer deletion and even without the passphrase. Only deployments that allow anonymous pushes (the default) are affected. The issue is fixed in v2.9.6.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/22/2026
PasswordPusher versions ranging from v1.45.11 through v2.9.5 suffer from a critical improper authorization vulnerability within the push deletion logic, specifically affecting deployments that permit anonymous pushes which is the default configuration for many installations. This flaw stems from a fundamental error in how ownership and access rights are evaluated during the deletion process. The application attempts to enforce security by checking if the user associated with the specific push matches the currently authenticated or active user session via an equality comparison between @push.user and current_user. However, this logic fails catastrophically when dealing with anonymous content because both variables evaluate to nil in such scenarios. In Ruby programming language semantics, comparing two null values results in a true condition, causing the authorization check to pass erroneously. Consequently, the restriction designed to prevent viewers from deleting pushes is bypassed entirely for any push created without explicit user authentication.
The operational impact of this vulnerability allows an attacker who possesses only the secret URL associated with an anonymous push to permanently delete that content without requiring any form of authentication or knowledge of a passphrase. This represents a severe integrity and availability risk, as it undermines the intended access controls set by the original creator. Even if the creator explicitly disabled viewer deletion capabilities for security reasons, these protections are rendered ineffective due to the flawed logic in the authorization middleware. An attacker can exploit this condition to remove sensitive data shared via the platform, potentially leading to loss of critical information or disruption of services that rely on persistent access links provided by PasswordPusher.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-269 which denotes Improper Authorization, as the application fails to enforce proper privileges for an actor interacting with system resources. Furthermore, it relates to CWE-862 concerning Missing Authorization, where the software does not perform necessary checks before allowing actions on protected objects. In terms of tactical mapping within the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this flaw facilitates unauthorized resource modification and can be leveraged in conjunction with other techniques for data destruction or denial of service against specific shared resources. The root cause is a logical error in handling null references rather than a complex cryptographic failure, highlighting the importance of rigorous testing around edge cases involving unauthenticated users.
To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations running affected versions must immediately upgrade to PasswordPusher version v2.9.6 or later where the deletion logic has been corrected to properly handle anonymous pushes and enforce access controls regardless of user identity status. Until an upgrade is performed, administrators should consider disabling anonymous push creation if their security policy permits such a configuration change, thereby removing the attack surface associated with nil-value comparisons in authorization checks. Regular auditing of application code for similar patterns where null equality might bypass security constraints is also recommended to prevent analogous issues in other modules or future releases.