Vulnerability Description
Tandoor Recipes is a recipe manager than can be installed with the Nix package manager. Starting in version 23.05 and prior to version 26.05, 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. NixOS 26.05 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 should be applied instead. NixOS 25.11 has received a backport of this patch, though it doesn't fix this vulnerability without user intervention. A recommended workaround is to move `MEDIA_ROOT` into a subdirectory. Non-recommended workarounds include switching to PostgreSQL or disallowing access to `db.sqlite3`.
Related Weaknesses (CWE)
References
- https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/338339
- https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/427845
- https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/481140
- https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/security/advisories/GHSA-g8w3-p77x-mmxh
FAQ
What is CVE-2026-23838?
CVE-2026-23838 is a documented vulnerability. Tandoor Recipes is a recipe manager than can be installed with the Nix package manager. Starting in version 23.05 and prior to version 26.05, when using the default configuration of Tandoor Recipes, s...
How severe is CVE-2026-23838?
CVSS scoring is not yet available for CVE-2026-23838. Check NVD for updates.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-23838?
Check the references section above for vendor advisories and patch information. Review vendor security bulletins for remediation guidance.