AVID-2026-R1240

Description

in-toto vulnerable to Configuration Read From Local Directory (CVE-2023-32076)

Details

in-toto is a framework to protect supply chain integrity. The in-toto configuration is read from various directories and allows users to configure the behavior of the framework. The files are from directories following the XDG base directory specification. In versions 1.4.0 and prior, among the files read is .in_totorc which is a hidden file in the directory in which in-toto is run. If an attacker controls the inputs to a supply chain step, they can mask their activities by also passing in an .in_totorc file that includes the necessary exclude patterns and settings. RC files are widely used in other systems and security issues have been discovered in their implementations as well. Maintainers found in their conversations with in-toto adopters that in_totorc is not their preferred way to configure in-toto. As none of the options supported in in_totorc is unique, and can be set elsewhere using API parameters or CLI arguments, the maintainers decided to drop support for in_totorc. in-toto’s user_settings module has been dropped altogether in commit 3a21d84f40811b7d191fa7bd17265c1f99599afd. Users may also sandbox functionary code as a security measure.

Reason for inclusion in AVID: CVE-2023-32076 describes a configuration-reading vulnerability in in-toto, a framework used to protect software supply chains. An attacker who controls inputs to a supply chain step can supply a malicious .in_totorc to influence framework behavior, affecting configuration integrity. While not AI-specific, this is a software supply-chain vulnerability in a tooling component that could be used within AI system pipelines (build/deploy/test of ML models, data workflows, etc.). The issue is a formal CVE with described impact on security/integrity, supported by NVD/GHSA references, and the evidence indicates a plausible risk to AI software supply chains when such tooling is involved.

References

• NVD entry
• https://github.com/in-toto/in-toto/security/advisories/GHSA-wc64-c5rv-32pf
• https://github.com/in-toto/docs/security/advisories/GHSA-p86f-xmg6-9q4x
• https://github.com/in-toto/in-toto/commit/3a21d84f40811b7d191fa7bd17265c1f99599afd
• https://specifications.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html

Affected or Relevant Artifacts

• Developer: in-toto
• Deployer: in-toto
• Artifact Details:

Impact

AVID Taxonomy Categorization

• Risk domains: Security
• SEP subcategories: S0100: Software Vulnerability
• Lifecycle stages: L06: Deployment

CVSS

CWE

Other information

• Report Type: Advisory
• Credits:
• Date Reported: 2023-05-10
• Version: 0.3.3
• AVID Entry