SurrealDB has Silent Failure to Overwrite Table Definition of Relation Type

The `OVERWRITE` clause of the `DEFINE TABLE` statement would fail to overwrite data for tables that were defined with `TYPE RELATION`. Since table definitions include the `PERMISSIONS` clause, this failure would result in permissions not being overwritten as a result, which may potentially lead users to believe they have changed the table permissions when they have not. ### Impact If a user attempted to update table permissions of a table defined with `TYPE RELATION` using `DEFINE TABLE ... OVERWRITE`, permissions for the table would not be changed. This may allow a client that is authorized to run queries in a SurrealDB server to access certain data in that specific table that they were not intended to be able to access after the specified change in permissions. ### Patches The `DEFINE TABLE` statement has been updated to appropriately overwrite data for tables defined with `TYPE RELATION`. - Version 2.1.4 and later are not affected by this issue. ### Workarounds Users of tables with `TYPE RELATION` that may have been modified using the `OVERWRITE` clause in order to update permissions are advised to verify that the intended permissions are in place using the `INFO FOR DB` statement. Affected users who are unable to update and require updating permissions in a table with `TYPE RELATION` will be required to remove the table and define it from scratch with the intended permissions. Data can be preserved by backing it up to a temporary table. ### References - [#5260](https://github.com/surrealdb/surrealdb/pull/5260)

CVSS 4.0

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Severity from

GitHub (reviewed advisory)

Weakness

CWE-732

Also known as

CVE-2024-58356

• github.com/surrealdb/surrealdb/security/advisories/GHSA-27vq-hv74-7cqp
• nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-58356
• github.com/surrealdb/surrealdb/pull/5260
• github.com/surrealdb/surrealdb/commit/2f9a58f830c24f107b4783da1f0704a502bc7734
• github.com/surrealdb/surrealdb
• www.vulncheck.com/advisories/surrealdb-before-permission-bypass-via-define-table-overwrite