CVE-2022-21230 : What You Need to Know

A critical vulnerability affecting all versions of the NanoHTTPD package has been discovered. Attackers can view sensitive information due to insecure permissions on temporary files.

Understanding CVE-2022-21230

This vulnerability in the org.nanohttpd:nanohttpd package allows unauthorized users to access sensitive data when handling HTTP requests.

What is CVE-2022-21230?

The flaw stems from the insecure creation of temporary files, enabling unauthorized viewing of request content by all users on the host machine.

The Impact of CVE-2022-21230

With a CVSS base score of 5.5, this medium-severity vulnerability can lead to high confidentiality impacts as sensitive data is exposed.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-21230

This section details the vulnerability description, affected systems, and the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

When an HTTP session processes a request body larger than 1024 bytes, NanoHTTPD writes the request body to a RandomAccessFile with insecure permissions, allowing all users on the host machine to view its contents.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects all versions of the org.nanohttpd:nanohttpd package.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this flaw by accessing the insecurely created temporary files to retrieve sensitive information.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2022-21230, follow these immediate steps and best security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users should manually specify the -Djava.io.tmpdir= argument when launching Java to set the temporary directory to a user-controlled location.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update the NanoHTTPD package to the latest version and monitor for security advisories.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches and updates provided by the vendor to ensure the secure handling of temporary files.