CVE-2025-13114: Mall-swarm Authorization Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-13114 Overview

CVE-2025-13114 is an improper authorization vulnerability in macrozheng mall-swarm up to version 1.0.3. The flaw resides in the updateAttr function reachable through the /cart/update/attr endpoint. An authenticated remote attacker can manipulate the request to bypass authorization controls on cart attribute updates. The vulnerability maps to [CWE-266: Incorrect Privilege Assignment]. Public exploit details were disclosed prior to vendor response, and the vendor did not reply to disclosure attempts. The affected product is an open-source e-commerce microservices platform commonly deployed for Java-based retail applications.

Critical Impact
An authenticated remote attacker can bypass authorization checks in the updateAttr cart function, enabling unauthorized modification of cart attribute data across user contexts.

Affected Products

macrozheng mall-swarm versions up to and including 1.0.3
Deployments exposing the /cart/update/attr endpoint
Java microservices instances of the mall-swarm e-commerce platform

Discovery Timeline

2025-11-13 - CVE-2025-13114 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-13114

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability affects the updateAttr function in the cart microservice of mall-swarm. The endpoint /cart/update/attr accepts requests to modify cart item attributes but fails to enforce that the calling user owns the target cart entry. An authenticated attacker with low-level privileges can submit crafted requests referencing cart identifiers belonging to other users. The service processes the update without validating the association between the session identity and the cart record.

The issue is a horizontal authorization failure. The application authenticates the requester but does not authorize the requested object. This pattern falls under the broader category of Broken Access Control and specifically [CWE-266], where the code grants privileges beyond the identity's intended scope.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of an ownership check inside the updateAttr handler. The function trusts client-supplied cart identifiers instead of scoping the update to the authenticated user's cart records. Authorization logic that should validate cartUserId == sessionUserId is missing or incomplete before the update statement executes.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires network access and a valid low-privileged account. An attacker sends an HTTP request to /cart/update/attr with parameters referencing another user's cart entry. The service performs the requested attribute change without rejecting the cross-tenant reference. No user interaction is required. Public disclosure notes the exploit technique is available externally through the referenced GitHub Issue Discussion and VulDB entry.

No verified exploit code is published in an authoritative repository. Refer to the linked advisories for technical reproduction details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-13114

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected PUT or POST requests to /cart/update/attr referencing cart identifiers not associated with the authenticated session user
Cart records showing attribute modifications from source IP addresses or user accounts inconsistent with historical owner activity
Audit log entries where updateAttr executes against cartId values outside the caller's normal range

Detection Strategies

Instrument the cart microservice to log the session userId alongside every cartId targeted by updateAttr, then alert on mismatches
Deploy web application firewall rules that inspect /cart/update/attr payloads and correlate cartId ownership against the authenticated principal
Add application-level assertions that raise exceptions when authorization scope validation fails during cart mutations

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward mall-swarm microservice access logs and application logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation across user sessions
Baseline normal cart modification patterns per user and alert on volumetric anomalies against /cart/update/attr
Monitor authentication tokens making high-frequency requests to cart endpoints with varying cartId parameters

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-13114

Immediate Actions Required

Inventory all mall-swarm deployments and confirm the running version against 1.0.3 or earlier
Restrict network exposure of the cart microservice to authenticated internal traffic where feasible
Add a reverse-proxy or API gateway policy that validates the caller's identity against the requested cartId before forwarding to /cart/update/attr

Patch Information

The vendor did not respond to the disclosure and no official patch is referenced in the advisory data. Organizations should track the upstream macrozheng/mall-swarm repository for future releases. Until a fix is issued, apply a code-level workaround by injecting an ownership check in the updateAttr handler that rejects requests where the cart's user identifier does not match the authenticated principal.

Workarounds

Implement an authorization filter in the cart service that enforces cart.userId == session.userId before invoking updateAttr
Introduce API gateway rules that block requests to /cart/update/attr unless the payload's cart identifier resolves to the authenticated user
Rotate and shorten session token lifetimes to reduce the window available for authenticated abuse
Restrict registration of new low-privilege accounts if the application permits self-service signup during triage

bash

# Example reverse-proxy rule (nginx) restricting /cart/update/attr to authenticated internal traffic
location /cart/update/attr {
    if ($http_authorization = "") { return 401; }
    allow 10.0.0.0/8;
    deny all;
    proxy_pass http://mall-cart-service;
}