Description
Synapse is an open-source Matrix homeserver. In Synapse versions before 1.120.1, enabling the dynamic_thumbnails option or processing a specially crafted request could trigger the decoding and thumbnail generation of uncommon image formats, potentially invoking external tools like Ghostscript for processing. This significantly expands the attack surface in a historically vulnerable area, presenting a risk that far outweighs the benefit, particularly since these formats are rarely used on the open web or within the Matrix ecosystem. Synapse 1.120.1 addresses the issue by restricting thumbnail generation to images in the following widely used formats: PNG, JPEG, GIF, and WebP. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.120.1.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| element-hq | synapse | < 1.120.1 | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | matrix-synapse | No fix yet | — |
Show 3 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 22.04 LTS | matrix-synapse | 1.53.0-1ubuntu0.1~esm2 | USN-7444-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | matrix-synapse | 1.11.0-1ubuntu0.1~esm2 | USN-7444-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS | matrix-synapse | 0.24.0+dfsg-1ubuntu0.1~esm4 | USN-7444-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | matrix-synapse | 1.120.2-1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2024:14541-1 |
Alpine
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.24 | synapse | 1.120.2-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.23 | synapse | 1.120.2-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.22 | synapse | 1.120.2-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.21 | synapse | 1.120.2-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.20 | synapse | 1.120.1 | — |
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PyPI | matrix-synapse | < 1.120.1 | 1.120.1 | GHSA-vp6v-whfm-rv3g |
Advisories 2
- USN-7444-1 matrix-synapse vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Apr 27, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:14541-1 matrix-synapse-1.120.2-1.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026