CVE-2023-26264 is a critical security vulnerability that affects all versions of Talend Data Catalog before 8.-20220907. This vulnerability has been reported to introduce a possibility of XML External Entity (XXE) attacks in the license parsing code. This post will provide an overview of the vulnerability, its impact, and available mitigation options, along with links to original references and details about the exploit.

Vulnerability Details

Talend Data Catalog is a popular data management and governance application that assists organizations in maintaining a comprehensive inventory of their data assets. This vulnerability is a manifestation of insecure XML parsing, which allows remote attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information, perform denial of service attacks, or cause the server to interact with other systems without authorization.

CVE-2023-26264 originates from license parsing code and affects Talend Data Catalog versions before 8.-20220907. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by crafting a malicious XML file containing an external entity reference in the XML document. When the vulnerable application processes this XML file, it might inadvertently enable the attacker to access sensitive files, interact with other systems, or overload the system with requests.

The following code snippet highlights a general example of an XML External Entity

<?xml version="1." encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
 <!ELEMENT foo ANY >
 <!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "file:///etc/passwd">
]>
<foo>&xxe;</foo>

When a vulnerable XML parser processes this XML file, the '&xxe;' entity reference is replaced with the content of the system file '/etc/passwd.' This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Exploit Details

At the time of writing, there are no public exploits available for CVE-2023-26264. However, as the issue is fairly straightforward, it is important to act promptly to secure affected systems.

Mitigation and Recommendations

To remediate this vulnerability, affected users should upgrade the Talend Data Catalog to version 8.-20220907 or later, in which this issue has been fixed. As best practice, users should keep their software updated, use strong authentication mechanisms, and regularly audit and monitor their IT environment for any signs of unauthorized access.

For more information on CVE-2023-26264, please refer to the following resources

1. CVE-2023-26264 - NIST National Vulnerability Database
2. Talend Security Advisory

Conclusion

CVE-2023-26264 is a significant security vulnerability that exposes impacted versions of Talend Data Catalog to XML External Entity attacks in the license parsing code. To mitigate the issue, users are urged to update their software to the latest version and employ security best practices. Please refer to the original references for more information and stay vigilant about the security of your IT environment.

Timeline

Published on: 04/13/2023 19:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 04/21/2023 04:19:00 UTC