CVE-2022-41707 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting relatedcode/Messenger version 7bcd20b. The flaw arises from improper authorization controls in the web services of the application, which allows an authenticated external attacker to access sensitive data belonging to any user of the application. Specifically, the application exposes user data publicly without adequate access restrictions, violating the principle of least privilege. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.5, reflecting a network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L) but no user interaction (UI:N), with high confidentiality impact (C:H), and no impact on integrity (I:N) or availability (A:N). This means an attacker with valid credentials but limited privileges can remotely access sensitive user data, potentially leading to privacy breaches and information disclosure. No known exploits in the wild have been reported, and no official patches are currently linked, indicating that mitigation may require custom access control reviews or updates from the vendor. The vulnerability was published on October 19, 2022, and was reserved on September 28, 2022, by Fluid Attacks.

For European organizations using relatedcode/Messenger version 7bcd20b, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to user privacy and data confidentiality. Sensitive user information exposure can lead to regulatory non-compliance under GDPR, resulting in legal penalties and reputational damage. Organizations in sectors handling sensitive communications—such as healthcare, finance, government, and critical infrastructure—are particularly vulnerable to exploitation. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to harvest personal data, conduct targeted phishing, or gain intelligence for further attacks. Although the vulnerability does not affect data integrity or availability, the confidentiality breach alone can undermine trust in communication platforms and lead to cascading security incidents. Given the medium severity and the requirement for attacker authentication, the threat is more pronounced in environments where user credentials may be compromised or where insider threats exist.

To mitigate CVE-2022-41707, European organizations should first verify if they are using the affected version (7bcd20b) of relatedcode/Messenger. Immediate steps include conducting a thorough audit of the application's authorization mechanisms, ensuring that access controls strictly enforce user data isolation. Organizations should implement role-based access control (RBAC) or attribute-based access control (ABAC) to prevent unauthorized data access. Monitoring and logging access to sensitive endpoints should be enhanced to detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. If vendor patches become available, prompt application is critical. In the absence of official patches, organizations may consider deploying web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to restrict access to sensitive API endpoints. Additionally, enforcing strong authentication mechanisms and credential hygiene can reduce the risk of attackers gaining the necessary privileges to exploit this vulnerability. Regular security training for users and administrators about the risks of credential compromise is also recommended.