CVE-2022-23635 : What You Need to Know

A detailed overview of CVE-2022-23635 highlighting the unauthenticated control plane denial of service attack in Istio.

Understanding CVE-2022-23635

This section delves into the nature of the security vulnerability discovered in Istio.

What is CVE-2022-23635?

Istio, an open platform for managing microservices, faces a vulnerability in its control plane,

istiod

, allowing a crafted message to crash the control plane without authentication.

The Impact of CVE-2022-23635

The vulnerability poses a high availability impact, with a CVSS base score of 7.5, making it a critical issue that needs immediate attention.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-23635

Explore the technical aspects of CVE-2022-23635 to understand its implications and affected systems.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Istio's control plane can lead to a denial of service attack without requiring authentication, affecting versions >= 1.13.0, < 1.13.1, >= 1.12.0, < 1.12.4, and < 1.11.7.

Affected Systems and Versions

Istio versions 1.13.0 to 1.13.1, 1.12.0 to 1.12.4, and below 1.11.7 are vulnerable to this unauthenticated control plane denial of service attack.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability is exploited through a specially crafted message targeting the Istio control plane component,

istiod

, over TLS port 15012.

Mitigation and Prevention

Discover the steps to mitigate and prevent the impact of CVE-2022-23635 on Istio instances.

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrading Istio to versions that address the vulnerability is crucial to prevent exploitation and secure the control plane.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement network access controls to limit Istiod interaction, especially in multicluster deployments, reducing the exposure to potential attacks.

Patching and Updates

Regularly apply security patches and updates provided by Istio to mitigate known vulnerabilities and enhance the security posture of Istio deployments.