spotipy: incorrect default permissions (CVE-2025-27154) #shorts

Summary

Today, we shine a spotlight on a critical vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-27154, impacting the Spotipy library, which is widely used for interfacing with the Spotify Web API. The flaw involves incorrect default permissions that could potentially be exploited, impacting versions prior to 2.25.1.

Product details

Spotipy is a lightweight Python library designed to facilitate interactions with the Spotify Web API. It provides users with functionality to access and manage Spotify data for personal use, making it a popular choice among developers requiring Spotify integration.

Vulnerability type summary

This vulnerability falls under CWE-276: Incorrect Default Permissions. It entails the improper setting of permissions for files, which can create opportunities for unauthorized access and potential exploitation.

Details of the vulnerability

The vulnerability stems from the `CacheHandler` class within Spotipy, which inadvertently sets cache file permissions to `rw-r--r--` (644) by default, instead of a more secure `rw-------` (600). This oversight means that the Spotify auth token stored in these files could be accessed by other users or processes, potentially leading to unauthorized operations on the Spotify account. Attackers with access to this auth token can engage in administrative actions, contingent on the privileges granted by the token.

Conclusion

In light of this vulnerability, it is crucial for all users operating Spotipy in affected versions to promptly update to version 2.25.1. This update ensures the cache file permissions are appropriately restricted, effectively mitigating the risk of unauthorized access. Developers and organizations should take immediate action to reinforce the security of their applications and guard against this potential threat.

This chain involves the following actors

This following systems are involved

Attack entry point

Remediation actions

Exploitation actions

• https://github.com/spotipy-dev/spotipy/security/advisories/GHSA-pwhh-q4h6-w599
• https://github.com/spotipy-dev/spotipy/commit/1ca453f6ef87a2a9e9876f52b6cb38d13532ccf2
• https://github.com/spotipy-dev/spotipy/blob/master/spotipy/cache_handler.py#L93-L98
• https://github.com/spotipy-dev/spotipy/releases/tag/2.25.1