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SQLite database externally accessible with the default settings of Tandoor Recipes module

High
LeSuisse published GHSA-g8w3-p77x-mmxh Jan 19, 2026

Package

nixos/tandoor-recipes (nixos)

Affected versions

23.05, 23.11, 24.05, 24.11, 25.05, 25.11

Patched versions

26.05

Description

Impact

When using the default configuration of Tandoor Recipes, specifically using SQLite and default MEDIA_ROOT, the full database file may be externally accessible, potentially on the Internet.

The root cause is that the NixOS module configures the working directory of Tandoor Recipes, as well as the value of MEDIA_ROOT, to be /var/lib/tandoor-recipes. This causes Tandoor Recipes to create its db.sqlite3 database file in the same directory as MEDIA_ROOT causing it to be accessible without authentication through HTTP like any other media file.

This is the case when using GUNICORN_MEDIA=1 or when using a web server like nginx to serve media files.

This bug has been present since the module was introduced in 23.05.

Patches

NixOS 26.05 (unstable at the time of writing) changes the default value of MEDIA_ROOT to a sub folder of the data directory. This only applies to configurations with system.stateVersion >= 26.05. For older configurations, one of the workarounds below should be applied instead.

NixOS 25.11 has received a backport of this patch, though it doesn't fix this vulnerability without user intervention.

Workarounds / Remediations

Recommended: Move MEDIA_ROOT into a subdirectory

The issue is only present when MEDIA_ROOT is the same as the data directory. Moving it into a subdirectory of /var/lib/tandoor-recipes remediates this and any similar issues in the future.

  1. Stop the currently running service: systemctl stop tandoor-recipes.service
  2. Create a media folder. NixOS 26.05 creates the media path at /var/lib/tandoor-recipes/media by default, but you may choose any other path as well. mkdir -p /var/lib/tandoor-recipes/media
  3. Move existing media to the new path: mv /var/lib/tandoor-recipes/{files,recipes} /var/lib/tandoor-recipes/media
  4. Set services.tandoor-recipes.extraConfig.MEDIA_ROOT = "/var/lib/tandoor-recipes/media"; in your NixOS configuration (not needed if system.stateVersion >= 26.05).
  5. If not using GUNICORN_MEDIA, update your reverse proxy / web server configuration accordingly.
  6. Rebuild and switch!

These changes can be reverted by moving the files back into the state directory.

Not recommended: Switch to PostgreSQL

When using an external database like PostgreSQL (the only other option available in Tandoor Recipes) this issue does not manifest.

A simple PostgreSQL configuration can be enabled using the option
services.tandoor-recipes.database.createLocally.

Note that this will require migrating the existing database to PostgreSQL. Refer to the upstream documentation for this procedure. It is important to delete or move the db.sqlite3 file out of the media path, after this has been done.

More information on configuring PostgreSQL can be found in the upstream documentation.

Set the following option to ignore the evaluation warnings once db.sqlite3 has been deleted.

{
  services.tandoor-recipes.extraConfig.MEDIA_ROOT = "/var/lib/tandoor-recipes";
}

As future releases of Tandoor Recipes could add additional files to the data
directory, this is not a future-proof solution.

Not recommended: Disallow access to db.sqlite3

When using a web server like nginx, access to this file can be disabled.

As future releases of Tandoor Recipes could add additional files to the data
directory, this is not a future-proof solution.

References

Initial issue: #338339
Fix for NixOS unstable / 26.05: #427845
Backport for NixOS 25.11: #481140
Documentation: https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/unstable/#module-services-tandoor-recipes-migrating-media

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v4 base metrics

Exploitability Metrics
Attack Vector Network
Attack Complexity Low
Attack Requirements None
Privileges Required None
User interaction None
Vulnerable System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality High
Integrity None
Availability None
Subsequent System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality None
Integrity None
Availability None

CVSS v4 base metrics

Exploitability Metrics
Attack Vector: This metric reflects the context by which vulnerability exploitation is possible. This metric value (and consequently the resulting severity) will be larger the more remote (logically, and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerable system. The assumption is that the number of potential attackers for a vulnerability that could be exploited from across a network is larger than the number of potential attackers that could exploit a vulnerability requiring physical access to a device, and therefore warrants a greater severity.
Attack Complexity: This metric captures measurable actions that must be taken by the attacker to actively evade or circumvent existing built-in security-enhancing conditions in order to obtain a working exploit. These are conditions whose primary purpose is to increase security and/or increase exploit engineering complexity. A vulnerability exploitable without a target-specific variable has a lower complexity than a vulnerability that would require non-trivial customization. This metric is meant to capture security mechanisms utilized by the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: This metric captures the prerequisite deployment and execution conditions or variables of the vulnerable system that enable the attack. These differ from security-enhancing techniques/technologies (ref Attack Complexity) as the primary purpose of these conditions is not to explicitly mitigate attacks, but rather, emerge naturally as a consequence of the deployment and execution of the vulnerable system.
Privileges Required: This metric describes the level of privileges an attacker must possess prior to successfully exploiting the vulnerability. The method by which the attacker obtains privileged credentials prior to the attack (e.g., free trial accounts), is outside the scope of this metric. Generally, self-service provisioned accounts do not constitute a privilege requirement if the attacker can grant themselves privileges as part of the attack.
User interaction: This metric captures the requirement for a human user, other than the attacker, to participate in the successful compromise of the vulnerable system. This metric determines whether the vulnerability can be exploited solely at the will of the attacker, or whether a separate user (or user-initiated process) must participate in some manner.
Vulnerable System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality: This metric measures the impact to the confidentiality of the information managed by the VULNERABLE SYSTEM due to a successfully exploited vulnerability. Confidentiality refers to limiting information access and disclosure to only authorized users, as well as preventing access by, or disclosure to, unauthorized ones.
Integrity: This metric measures the impact to integrity of a successfully exploited vulnerability. Integrity refers to the trustworthiness and veracity of information. Integrity of the VULNERABLE SYSTEM is impacted when an attacker makes unauthorized modification of system data. Integrity is also impacted when a system user can repudiate critical actions taken in the context of the system (e.g. due to insufficient logging).
Availability: This metric measures the impact to the availability of the VULNERABLE SYSTEM resulting from a successfully exploited vulnerability. While the Confidentiality and Integrity impact metrics apply to the loss of confidentiality or integrity of data (e.g., information, files) used by the system, this metric refers to the loss of availability of the impacted system itself, such as a networked service (e.g., web, database, email). Since availability refers to the accessibility of information resources, attacks that consume network bandwidth, processor cycles, or disk space all impact the availability of a system.
Subsequent System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality: This metric measures the impact to the confidentiality of the information managed by the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM due to a successfully exploited vulnerability. Confidentiality refers to limiting information access and disclosure to only authorized users, as well as preventing access by, or disclosure to, unauthorized ones.
Integrity: This metric measures the impact to integrity of a successfully exploited vulnerability. Integrity refers to the trustworthiness and veracity of information. Integrity of the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM is impacted when an attacker makes unauthorized modification of system data. Integrity is also impacted when a system user can repudiate critical actions taken in the context of the system (e.g. due to insufficient logging).
Availability: This metric measures the impact to the availability of the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM resulting from a successfully exploited vulnerability. While the Confidentiality and Integrity impact metrics apply to the loss of confidentiality or integrity of data (e.g., information, files) used by the system, this metric refers to the loss of availability of the impacted system itself, such as a networked service (e.g., web, database, email). Since availability refers to the accessibility of information resources, attacks that consume network bandwidth, processor cycles, or disk space all impact the availability of a system.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

CVE ID

CVE-2026-23838

Weaknesses

Insertion of Sensitive Information into Externally-Accessible File or Directory

The product places sensitive information into files or directories that are accessible to actors who are allowed to have access to the files, but not to the sensitive information. Learn more on MITRE.

Credits