CVE-2023-42446: Pow Mnesia cache doesn't invalidate all expired keys on startup

Severity: medium (CVSS 6.5 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.5% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: yes
Published: 2023-09-18 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-298

Description

Pow is a authentication and user management solution for Phoenix and Plug-based apps. Starting in version 1.0.14 and prior to version 1.0.34, use of `Pow.Store.Backend.MnesiaCache` is susceptible to session hijacking as expired keys are not being invalidated correctly on startup. A session may expire when all `Pow.Store.Backend.MnesiaCache` instances have been shut down for a period that is longer than a session's remaining TTL. Version 1.0.34 contains a patch for this issue. As a workaround, expired keys, including all expired sessions, can be manually invalidated.

Affected products

pow-auth pow: from 1.0.14 before 1.0.34 — fixed in 1.0.34

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: pow-auth pow 1.0.34. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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