CVE-2023-4432 - Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in GitHub repository cockpit-hq/cockpit prior to 2.6.4.

A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability, CVE-2023-4432, has been discovered in GitHub repository cockpit-hq/cockpit versions prior to 2.6.4. This vulnerability can allow hackers to perform unwanted actions on behalf of logged-in users, without their knowledge or consent. In this post, we'll break down the details of this vulnerability, how it could be exploited, and the steps necessary to mitigate these risks.

Vulnerability Details

Cockpit (cockpit-cms/cockpit) is a lightweight and flexible content management system (CMS) built on PHP, allowing users to easily manage their websites and applications. The vulnerability, CVE-2023-4432, specifically targets the reflected type of Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability. With this vulnerability, attackers can inject malicious code into certain areas of the application, which is then executed when a user interacts with the affected webpage.

The XSS vulnerability can be demonstrated with a simple code snippet like the one below

<script>alert('XSS');</script>

When this code is injected into the vulnerable application, it causes a JavaScript alert that displays the message "XSS" when the user opens the affected page.

Exploit Details

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first need to identify a susceptible input field in the application. Once that is found, the attacker could inject the malicious script into the field. This script would then be reflected back to the user in the application's response. The unsuspecting user may then interact with the affected page, leading to the malicious script being executed in their browser.

This type of attack may be used to steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of user, or even redirect the user to malicious webpages. In general, it exposes the user's session to potential compromises.

An example of a potentially exploitable input in Cockpit CMS could be the search input field

http://vulnerable-website.com/cockpit/search.php?q=<script>alert('XSS');</script>;

Original References

Researchers who discovered this vulnerability have published detailed information related to the issue. To learn more about the vulnerability, its technical aspects, and the remediation steps, please click on the links below:

1. CVE-2023-4432 Details
2. Cockpit GitHub Repository
3. NIST National Vulnerability Database
4. Cockpit Security Advisory

Mitigations

To address this vulnerability, it is strongly recommended to upgrade the cockpit-cms/cockpit to version 2.6.4 or later. This upgrade addresses the security flaws associated with the CVE-2023-4432 vulnerability.

For developers and administrators, it's essential to implement proper input validation and output encoding practices to minimize the risk of XSS vulnerabilities in the application. Several resources on how to prevent XSS attacks can be found online, including the OWASP XSS Prevention Cheat Sheet.

Conclusion

Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-4432 can lead to serious security breaches and user data compromise. It's crucial to be proactive in addressing these vulnerabilities and implementing best practices to minimize the risk of exploitation. Upgrading your Cockpit CMS to the latest version is essential in mitigating the risks associated with this specific vulnerability.

Timeline

Published on: 08/19/2023 01:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 08/23/2023 16:58:00 UTC