Broken Object Level Authorization

Broken Object Level Authorization in Go Gin [Apr 2026] [CVE-2026-34570]

[Updated Apr 2026] Updated CVE-2026-34570

Overview

CVE-2026-34570 describes a broken session revocation scenario in a CodeIgniter 4-based CMS (CI4MS) where deleting an account does not immediately revoke active sessions; authentication-only checks allow previously authenticated users to retain access until they log out. This is tied to CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and CWE-613 (Insufficient Session Expiration), with CWE-1254 also noted. The patch in CI4MS landed in version 0.31.0.0. In Go (Gin) contexts, this vulnerability maps to Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA): an API may authenticate a user but fail to enforce per-request, object-level ownership or account status, allowing a user to access resources owned by others or continue access after their own account is deactivated if the session/token is not revoked. The real-world impact is persistent, cross-user access and privilege abuse, even after account changes, which aligns with the described CVE’s lessons about failing to revoke access promptly. This guide references CVE-2026-34570 as the inspiration for per-request authorization failures and token/session revocation gaps and demonstrates a Go Gin remediation pattern with explicit ownership checks and revocation semantics.

Code Fix Example

Go (Gin) API Security Remediation
package main

import (
  "net/http"
  "strconv"
  "time"

  "github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
)

type User struct {
  ID            int
  Name          string
  Active        bool
  Role          string
  TokenVersion  int
}
type Resource struct {
  ID      int
  OwnerID int
  Data    string
}

var users = map[int]User{
  1: {ID: 1, Name: "Alice", Active: true, Role: "user", TokenVersion: 1},
  2: {ID: 2, Name: "Bob", Active: true, Role: "user", TokenVersion: 1},
  3: {ID: 3, Name: "Admin", Active: true, Role: "admin", TokenVersion: 1},
}
var resources = map[int]Resource{
  10: {ID: 10, OwnerID: 1, Data: "Alice's secret"},
  20: {ID: 20, OwnerID: 2, Data: "Bob's secret"},
}

// Simple in-memory token store for demonstration; replace with JWTs in real apps
type Token struct { UserID int; TokenVersion int; Expires time.Time }
var tokens = map[string]Token{
  "token-1-1":      {UserID: 1, TokenVersion: 1, Expires: time.Now().Add(24 * time.Hour)},
  "token-2-1":      {UserID: 2, TokenVersion: 1, Expires: time.Now().Add(24 * time.Hour)},
  "token-admin-1":  {UserID: 3, TokenVersion: 1, Expires: time.Now().Add(24 * time.Hour)},
}

func main() {
  r := gin.Default()

  // Vulnerable pattern (no object-level check on ownership)
  r.GET("/vulnerable/resources/:id", vulnerableResource)

  // Fix: enforce object-level authorization and account/token checks
  r.GET("/secure/resources/:id", secureResource)

  // Admin endpoint to simulate account deactivation and token revocation
  r.POST("/admin/deactivate/:id", deactivateUser)

  r.Run(":8080")
}

func authenticate(c *gin.Context) (User, bool) {
  auth := c.GetHeader("Authorization")
  if len(auth) < 7 || auth[:7] != "Bearer " {
    c.AbortWithStatus(http.StatusUnauthorized)
    return User{}, false
  }
  token := auth[7:]
  t, ok := tokens[token]
  if !ok || time.Now().After(t.Expires) {
    c.AbortWithStatus(http.StatusUnauthorized)
    return User{}, false
  }
  u, ok := users[t.UserID]
  if !ok {
    c.AbortWithStatus(http.StatusUnauthorized)
    return User{}, false
  }
  c.Set("user", u)
  c.Set("tokenVersion", t.TokenVersion)
  return u, true
}

func vulnerableResource(c *gin.Context) {
  u, ok := authenticate(c)
  if !ok {
    return
  }
  id, _ := strconv.Atoi(c.Param("id"))
  res, exists := resources[id]
  if !exists {
    c.JSON(http.StatusNotFound, gin.H{"error": "not found"})
    return
  }
  // Vulnerable: any authenticated user can access any resource regardless of ownership
  c.JSON(http.StatusOK, gin.H{"owner": res.OwnerID, "data": res.Data, "requestedBy": u.ID})
}

func secureResource(c *gin.Context) {
  u, ok := authenticate(c)
  if !ok {
    return
  }
  if !u.Active {
    c.JSON(http.StatusUnauthorized, gin.H{"error": "account inactive"})
    return
  }
  tv, _ := c.Get("tokenVersion")
  if u.TokenVersion != tv.(int) {
    c.JSON(http.StatusUnauthorized, gin.H{"error": "token revoked"})
    return
  }
  id, _ := strconv.Atoi(c.Param("id"))
  res, exists := resources[id]
  if !exists {
    c.JSON(http.StatusNotFound, gin.H{"error": "not found"})
    return
  }
  // Enforce object-level access: only owner or admin can read
  if res.OwnerID != u.ID && u.Role != "admin" {
    c.JSON(http.StatusForbidden, gin.H{"error": "forbidden"})
    return
  }
  c.JSON(http.StatusOK, gin.H{"owner": res.OwnerID, "data": res.Data})
}

func deactivateUser(c *gin.Context) {
  admin, ok := authenticate(c)
  if !ok {
    return
  }
  if admin.Role != "admin" {
    c.JSON(http.StatusForbidden, gin.H{"error": "admin privileges required"})
    return
  }
  id, _ := strconv.Atoi(c.Param("id"))
  user, exists := users[id]
  if !exists {
    c.JSON(http.StatusNotFound, gin.H{"error": "user not found"})
    return
  }
  user.Active = false
  user.TokenVersion += 1 // invalidate existing tokens
  users[id] = user
  c.JSON(http.StatusOK, gin.H{"status": "user deactivated", "userId": id})
}

CVE References

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