CVE-2020-36569Network attack vector

Unauthenticated handler access via global check disablement

Published Dec 27, 2022 · Updated Apr 11, 2025

Authentication bypass in DigitalOcean Nanoauth before 0.0.0-20200131131040-063a3fb69896 allows remote attackers to access protected handlers. ListenAndServe and ListenAndServeTLS set a package-global check flag to false when any caller supplies an empty token, causing later listeners to skip token comparison. The consuming application must invoke a serving function with an empty token; afterward, unauthenticated requests can read or alter whatever resources its handlers expose.

CVSS severity9.1
Critical
EPSS probability0.81%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Authentication bypass in DigitalOcean Nanoauth before 0.0.0-20200131131040-063a3fb69896 allows remote attackers to access protected handlers. ListenAndServe and ListenAndServeTLS set a package-global check flag to false when any caller supplies an empty token, causing later listeners to skip token comparison. The consuming application must invoke a serving function with an empty token; afterward, unauthenticated requests can read or alter whatever resources its handlers expose.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-36569
Published
Dec 27, 2022
Updated
Apr 11, 2025
Vendor
DigitalOcean
Product
Nanoauth
Classifications
CWE-287, T1190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 27, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 11, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=0.0.0-20160722212129-ac0cc4484ad4 <0.0.0-20200131131040-063a3fb69896

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

DigitalOcean · Nanoauthversion=0.0.0-20160722212129-ac0cc4484ad4 <0.0.0-20200131131040-063a3fb69896

Published CVSS scores

9.1CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
9.1NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-287Improper Authentication
T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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