CVE-2023-25166 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

An overview of the Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) Vulnerability impacting the hapijs formula parser.

Understanding CVE-2023-25166

This CVE involves a vulnerability in the hapijs formula parser, specifically affecting versions prior to 3.0.1. Exploiting this vulnerability could lead to a denial of service due to inefficient regular expression complexity.

What is CVE-2023-25166?

CVE-2023-25166 is classified as a Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) Vulnerability that arises from crafted user-provided strings to the formula parser in versions below 3.0.1 of hapijs formula. This could result in polynomial execution time and a denial of service condition for the affected systems.

The Impact of CVE-2023-25166

The impact of this vulnerability is rated as medium severity with a CVSS base score of 5.5. The availability impact is assessed as high, highlighting the potential disruption to services if exploited.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-25166

A deeper look into the vulnerability, affected systems, and the mechanism of exploitation.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability stems from the inefficiency in handling regular expressions in the formula parser of hapijs versions preceding 3.0.1. When manipulated by malicious input strings, it can lead to excessive computational resources being consumed, causing a denial of service.

Affected Systems and Versions

The hapijs formula parser versions below 3.0.1 are impacted by this vulnerability. Users utilizing these versions are at risk of ReDoS attacks and potential service disruptions.

Exploitation Mechanism

Exploiting CVE-2023-25166 involves crafting specific input strings that trigger the inefficient regular expression complexity within the formula parser. By leveraging this weakness, threat actors could carry out ReDoS attacks, leading to service unavailability.

Mitigation and Prevention

Guidelines on mitigating the risks posed by CVE-2023-25166 and preventing potential exploits.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are strongly advised to upgrade their hapijs formula parser to version 3.0.1 or higher to mitigate the vulnerability. By applying the necessary patches and updates, organizations can safeguard their systems against ReDoS attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing secure coding practices and regular security assessments can help in identifying and addressing vulnerabilities early on. Training developers on secure coding principles and conducting code reviews can contribute to building more robust and resilient applications.

Patching and Updates

Staying informed about security advisories and promptly applying patches released by software vendors is crucial for maintaining a secure software environment. Regularly updating dependencies and libraries helps in addressing known vulnerabilities and reducing the attack surface.