CVE-2018-7206: JupyterHub OAuthenticator GitLab Group Whitelisting Bypass
Summary
CVE-2018-7206: JupyterHub OAuthenticator elevation of privilege. Affects oauthenticator across 2 version ranges.
>= 0.6, < 0.6.2
>= 0.7, < 0.7.3
Fixed in 0.6.2 or 0.7.3, depending on the release line you run. How to fix ↓
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Background
JupyterHub OAuthenticator is an authentication module for JupyterHub, a multi-user server for Jupyter notebooks. It provides a way to authenticate users using various external authentication providers, including GitLab. OAuthenticator allows JupyterHub to integrate with GitLab for user authentication and access control. However, a vulnerability was discovered in versions 0.6.x and 0.7.x of OAuthenticator that affects the GitLab group whitelisting feature.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in JupyterHub OAuthenticator allows users who are not members of the whitelisted groups to create accounts on the Hub. Although these unauthorized users cannot access other users' accounts, they can create their own accounts linked to their GitLab account. This bypasses the intended access control mechanism provided by the group whitelisting feature. It is important to note that this vulnerability only affects JupyterHub instances using GitLab group whitelisting for access control. Other authentication methods and versions of OAuthenticator are not affected.
How To Fix
Latest published version: 17.4.0 as of 22 Oct 2026
pip install --upgrade "oauthenticator==17.4.0"Upgrading to it may include breaking changes; the versions below are the minimum fixed release for this vulnerability.
If you can't move to the latest
The minimum fixed version depends on the release line you run.
-
>= 0.6, < 0.6.20.6.2pip install --upgrade "oauthenticator==0.6.2" -
>= 0.7, < 0.7.30.7.3pip install --upgrade "oauthenticator==0.7.3"
Tip — Not sure which release line you're on? Vulert can find the fix for the version you are using. Scan free →
Workaround
There is no specific workaround mentioned for this vulnerability. Users are advised to upgrade to the fixed versions of OAuthenticator as soon as possible.
Conclusion
The vulnerability in JupyterHub OAuthenticator allows unauthorized users to create accounts on the Hub by bypassing the GitLab group whitelisting feature. To mitigate this issue, users should upgrade to fixed versions of OAuthenticator. For further support on vulnerability remediation, contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for oauthenticator →
FAQ
Versions 0.6.x and 0.7.x of JupyterHub OAuthenticator are affected by this vulnerability.
The vulnerability allows unauthorized users to create accounts on the JupyterHub instance, bypassing the intended access control provided by GitLab group whitelisting.
No, unauthorized users cannot access other users' accounts. They can only create their own accounts linked to their GitLab account.
No, this vulnerability only affects JupyterHub instances using GitLab group whitelisting for access control. Other authentication methods are not affected.
To fix this vulnerability, upgrade to versions 0.6.2 or 0.7.3 of JupyterHub OAuthenticator.
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for oauthenticator.
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