CVE-2022-39199 - Immudb Client SDKs Vulnerable to Server UUID Manipulation

Immudb is a robust, high-availability database that employs cryptographic proof and verification to ensure the integrity of stored data. This innovative technology offers unprecedented security for sensitive applications, such as financial services and healthcare. However, a vulnerability has been discovered in the immudb client SDKs, which could be exploited to trick clients into accepting false server states. This vulnerability has been designated as CVE-2022-39199.

Description

The Immudb client SDKs use the server's UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) to differentiate between multiple server instances. By doing so, clients can maintain separate states for different immudb server instances. Unfortunately, the SDKs do not validate these UUIDs properly, making them susceptible to manipulation by a malicious server. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could change the reported UUID, causing the client to treat it as a new server - thereby accepting an alternative server state.

Exploit Details

The vulnerability arises from the lack of proper validation of the server UUID by the client SDKs. When the server reports its UUID, the client SDK simply accepts it without any verification process. This means that a malicious server can simply change its UUID to deceive clients into connecting to a different immudb instance, thereby accepting a new and potentially harmful server state.

Patch Information

This issue has been addressed in immudb version 1.4.1. Clients running prior versions of immudb should upgrade to the latest release in order to resolve this vulnerability. The patch ensures proper validation of server UUIDs, thus preventing clients from being tricked into connecting to malicious servers.

Workaround

In the event that upgrading to immudb version 1.4.1 is not immediately feasible, there is a workaround to mitigate the risk posed by this vulnerability. When initializing an immudb client object, a custom state handler can be employed to store data. By providing a custom implementation that disregards the server UUID, clients can continue to connect to the correct server, even if its UUID is changed.

Here's an example of how to implement a custom state handler in Python

from immudb.client import ImmudbClient, State

class CustomStateHandler:
    def __init__(self):
        self.state = None

    def set(self, state: State):
        self.state = state

    def get(self) -> State:
        return self.state

custom_handler = CustomStateHandler()
client = ImmudbClient(state_handler=custom_handler)

This will ensure that the server UUID is effectively ignored, thus preventing connection to a malicious server.

For more information on CVE-2022-39199, please refer to the following sources

1. Immudb GitHub Repository
2. Immudb Security Advisories
3. CVE-2022-39199 in the NIST National Vulnerability Database

Conclusion

CVE-2022-39199 highlights the significance of proper validation for server identifiers in cybersecurity. By exploiting this vulnerability, an attacker could deceive immudb clients and compromise the integrity of their data. It is crucial for clients to upgrade to immudb version 1.4.1 or implement the provided workaround to mitigate the risk. As technology evolves, vigilance in monitoring and addressing security vulnerabilities is vital for safeguarding the integrity of sensitive applications.

Timeline

Published on: 11/22/2022 20:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/26/2022 03:32:00 UTC