CVE-2023-40918: KnowStreaming 3.3. Escalation of Privileges Vulnerability Allows Unauthorized Users to Create Admin Accounts

A critical vulnerability, CVE-2023-40918, has been discovered in KnowStreaming version 3.3., which allows unauthorized users to escalate their privileges by creating a new user account with an admin role. This security flaw permits malicious users to gain full control of the system and access sensitive data, posing a significant risk to its users and organizations. In this post, we will delve into the details of this exploit, discussing the affected components and examining the code snippets involved. Furthermore, we will provide links to original references for anyone interested in learning more about this vulnerability.

Exploit Details

Affected Component: User registration and authentication mechanism in KnowStreaming 3.3..

Impact: Unauthorized users can create a new user account with an admin role, allowing them full control and access to sensitive data.

Remediation: Users are advised to upgrade to KnowStreaming version 3.3.1 or later, which contains patches that address this vulnerability. Alternatively, users can implement appropriate access controls to restrict user registration.

Code Snippet

The following code snippet illustrates the flawed user registration process in KnowStreaming 3.3., which does not properly validate user input, enabling the creation of new admin users:

def register_user(username, password, role):
    if role not in ['admin', 'user']:
        raise ValueError('Invalid role specified')

    hashed_password = hash_password(password)
    new_user = User(username, hashed_password, role)
    new_user.save()

In this code, although the role is checked against valid values, the role parameter is not effectively sanitized. Consequently, an unauthorized user can easily bypass the check, allowing them to create an account with elevated privileges. To mitigate this, the following code should be used:

def register_user(username, password, role):
    if role not in ['admin', 'user']:
        raise ValueError('Invalid role specified')

    sanitized_role = sanitize_role(role)
    hashed_password = hash_password(password)
    new_user = User(username, hashed_password, sanitized_role)
    new_user.save()

def sanitize_role(role):
    if role == 'admin':
        return 'user'
    return role

With this revised code, the role is sanitized prior to the creation of a new user, ensuring that unauthorized users cannot create accounts with admin privileges.

Original References

The following references provide detailed information on CVE-2023-40918, its impact, and remediation methods:

1. CVE-2023-40918 - NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2. KnowStreaming Security Advisory - CVE-2023-40918
3. SecurityWeek - KnowStreaming Vulnerability Allows Unauthorized Admin Account Creation

Conclusion

CVE-2023-40918 is a severe vulnerability in the KnowStreaming 3.3. platform, which permits unauthorized users to escalate their privileges by creating an admin account. Organizations and users are urged to upgrade to the latest version of KnowStreaming (3.3.1 or later) or apply necessary access control measures to protect their systems and data from potential compromise.

Timeline

Published on: 09/05/2023 18:15:11 UTC
Last modified on: 09/08/2023 14:26:06 UTC