In this post, we bring to the attention of system administrators and security experts a recently discovered vulnerability affecting Kibana, a popular open-source data visualization dashboard for Elasticsearch. The issue, assigned the identifier CVE-2022-38900, lies within one of Kibana's third-party dependencies and may allow an authenticated user to submit a request that crashes the Kibana server process.

Overview of the Vulnerability

The Elasticsearch team discovered a flaw in a third-party dependency utilized by Kibana that could permit an authenticated user to perform a request, which in turn would lead to the Kibana server process crashing. While the particulars of the vulnerability have not been disclosed to minimize the risk of exploitation, it is crucial for system administrators to be aware of this issue and take appropriate measures to secure their installations.

6.8.15 - 6.8.16

Please note that other versions may still be vulnerable, so it is recommended to keep your Kibana installation up to date.

Exploitation Details

As mentioned earlier, an authenticated user exploiting this vulnerability could cause the Kibana server process to crash. While complete details about how the issue can be exploited are not available, here is an overview of a possible exploit scenario:

1. An attacker gains access to valid Kibana credentials, either by stealing them or using social engineering techniques.

Upon receiving the request, the server process crashes, interrupting the normal operation of Kibana.

While this vulnerability does not directly result in remote code execution or unauthorized access, it poses a serious threat to the stability and availability of your Kibana instances. Therefore, taking appropriate measures to mitigate the risk is paramount.

Kibana 6.8.17

To ensure the security and stability of your Kibana instances, upgrade promptly to the appropriate patched version. You can download these updated versions from the official Kibana website.

Instructions for upgrading Kibana can be found in the official documentation. Follow these steps to perform a successful upgrade and protect your installation from exploitation of this vulnerability.

Additionally, adhere to best practices, such as using strong, unique passwords for all accounts and employing the latest security patches for all software components.

Conclusion

This important notification serves as a reminder of the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity and the necessity of staying up to date with the latest software patches and security practices. The Kibana vulnerability, CVE-2022-38900, is potentially severe, as exploitation could lead to a server process crash and, consequently, disruption of services.

Keep your Kibana instances secure by upgrading to the latest, patched versions and adhering to recommended security practices. Don't hesitate to contact the Elasticsearch team if you have any questions or need assistance regarding this vulnerability.

Timeline

Published on: 02/08/2023 21:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 02/16/2023 19:42:00 UTC