GHSA-7q9c-hpx7-9cwm

TypeSpec: Unauthenticated Remote Shutdown of Spector Mock Server via POST /.admin/stop

Published

2026-09-04

Modified

2026-09-04

Sources

github-advisory

Summary

### Summary `@typespec/spector` registers a `POST /.admin/stop` HTTP route with no authentication, authorization token, Origin check, or IP-source restriction. Any network-reachable client can send a single unauthenticated POST request to terminate the mock server process. Because the server binds to `0.0.0.0` by default (all interfaces), this endpoint is exposed to any host that can reach the server's port—not just localhost—making a complete denial-of-service trivially achievable with one HTTP request. Severity is **High (CVSS 7.5)**. ### Details The vulnerability originates in `packages/spector/src/routes/admin.ts` at line 7, where an Express router registers the shutdown endpoint with no authentication middleware whatsoever: ```ts // packages/spector/src/routes/admin.ts:7-12 router.post(AdminUrls.stop, (_req, res) => { logger.info("Received signal to stop server. Exiting..."); res.status(202).end(); setTimeout(() => { process.exit(0); }); }); ``` The constant `AdminUrls.stop` resolves to `/.admin/stop` (`packages/spector/src/constants.ts:1-3`). The complete attack-reachable call chain is: 1. **`packages/spector/src/cli/cli.ts:139-166`** — `tsp-spector serve ` starts the server on default port `3000`. No `host` option is offered, so binding address is determined by the Express/Node.js default. 2. **`packages/spector/src/actions/serve.ts:28-33`** — constructs `MockApiApp` and calls `start()` without supplying a host argument. 3. **`packages/spector/src/app/app.ts:39-40`** — registers `internalRouter` at `/`, which includes the admin routes. 4. **`packages/spector/src/routes/index.ts:4-5`** — mounts `adminRoutes` under `/`. 5. **`packages/spector/src/routes/admin.ts:7-12`** — the `POST /.admin/stop` handler (the sink) is reached with zero authentication. 6. **`packages/spector/src/server/server.ts:88`** — `this.app.listen(this.config.port)` is called without a host argument, causing Node.js/Express to bind on `0.0.0.0` (all network interfaces). There is no authentication middleware, API token validation, `Authorization` header check, `Origin` header restriction, or IP allowlist anywhere between the inbound HTTP request and the `process.exit(0)` call. The admin route is mounted before scenario routes so it cannot be shadowed. ### PoC **Prerequisites:** ``` git clone https://github.com/microsoft/typespec cd typespec # Checkout commit d88ddc16 (affected version 0.1.0-alpha.26) pnpm install pnpm build ``` **Step 1 — Start the mock server:** ```bash pnpm --filter @typespec/spector exec tsp-spector serve packages/http-specs/specs --port 3000 # Server listens on 0.0.0.0:3000 by default ``` Alternatively, use the provided Docker environment: ```bash # Build context: reports/npm_web_64_microsoft__typespec/ docker build -t vuln002-spector -f vuln-002/Dockerfile . docker run -d -p 3001:3000 --name vuln002-server vuln002-spector ``` **Step 2 — Execute the exploit (single unauthenticated request):** ```bash curl -i -X POST http:// :3000/.admin/stop ``` Using the provided PoC script: ```bash python3 vuln-002/poc.py --host 127.0.0.1 --port 3001 ``` **Step 3 — Observe the result:** ``` HTTP/1.1 202 Accepted ``` The server process immediately exits. Subsequent connection attempts are refused. Docker logs show: ``` info Received signal to stop server. Exiting... ``` Docker inspect confirms `ExitCode=0, Status=exited`. No credentials, tokens, or special headers are required at any step. ### Impact This is a **Missing Authentication for Critical Function (CWE-306)** vulnerability. An unauthenticated remote attacker who can send HTTP traffic to the port where `tsp-spector serve` is listening can terminate the server process with a single POST request, resulting in a complete denial of service. The primary victims are development or CI/CD pipeline operators who run `tsp-spector serve` in environments where the port is reachable from untrusted network segments—for example, a share

Affected packages

Remediation: Upgrade to 0.1.0-alpha.27 or later.

References

• https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-7q9c-hpx7-9cwm