CVE-2022-24865 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in HumHub, an open-source enterprise social networking platform widely used for internal communication and collaboration within organizations. The vulnerability arises in versions prior to 1.10.4 (for the 1.10.x branch) and versions earlier than 1.9.4. Specifically, the flaw occurs when an administrator forces a user to change their password. During this forced password reset process, affected versions of HumHub improperly expose sensitive user data, allowing the user undergoing the reset to retrieve information belonging to other users. This is classified under CWE-200, which pertains to the exposure of sensitive information to unauthorized actors. The root cause is likely insufficient access control or improper handling of user session or data retrieval logic during the password reset workflow. The issue was addressed and resolved in commit eb83de20, and the vendor recommends upgrading to versions 1.11.0, 1.10.4, or 1.9.4 or later. There are no known workarounds, and no exploits have been reported in the wild to date. The vulnerability does not require the attacker to have elevated privileges beyond being a user forced to reset their password, and it does not require additional user interaction beyond the reset process itself. The impact is primarily confidentiality-related, as unauthorized access to other users' data can lead to information disclosure within the enterprise social network environment.

For European organizations using vulnerable versions of HumHub, this vulnerability poses a risk of internal data leakage. Since HumHub is often deployed as an intranet or enterprise social network, the exposed data may include sensitive corporate communications, personal user information, or proprietary business data. Unauthorized disclosure of such information could lead to privacy violations under GDPR, reputational damage, and potential insider threat exploitation. The impact is heightened in sectors with strict data protection requirements such as finance, healthcare, and government agencies. Although the vulnerability requires the attacker to be a user forced to reset their password, this scenario could be exploited by malicious insiders or compromised accounts. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk, but the vulnerability’s presence in active deployments means organizations remain exposed until patched. The exposure of sensitive information could facilitate further attacks, such as social engineering or privilege escalation, if attackers gain insights into user roles or organizational structure.

Organizations should prioritize upgrading HumHub installations to versions 1.11.0, 1.10.4, or 1.9.4 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Since no workarounds exist, patching is the primary mitigation strategy. Additionally, organizations should audit user accounts that have recently undergone forced password resets to detect any anomalous access or data retrieval patterns. Implementing strict monitoring and logging around password reset events can help identify potential exploitation attempts. Limiting the number of administrators who can force password resets reduces the attack surface. Where possible, enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of compromised accounts being used to exploit this vulnerability. Finally, organizations should review and tighten access control policies within HumHub to ensure that users cannot access data beyond their authorization, minimizing the impact of any future vulnerabilities.