CVE-2023-37461 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This article provides detailed information about CVE-2023-37461, a path traversal vulnerability in Metersphere.

Understanding CVE-2023-37461

CVE-2023-37461 is a vulnerability in the metersphere open-source testing framework that allows attackers to overwrite existing files or create new files by defining a

belongType

value with a relative path like

../../../../

.

What is CVE-2023-37461?

The vulnerability, categorized as CWE-22, involves improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory (Path Traversal) in Metersphere. Attackers can exploit this issue to manipulate files accessible to the Metersphere process.

The Impact of CVE-2023-37461

The impact of this vulnerability is rated as MEDIUM with a base score of 5.6 according to the CVSS v3.1 metrics. While the confidentiality, integrity, and privileges are low, the attack complexity is high with network-level access.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-37461

This section provides a deeper insight into the vulnerability's description, affected systems, and exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

Files uploaded to Metersphere containing a specific relative path may lead to file manipulation, allowing attackers to overwrite or create files within the defined directory.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects Metersphere versions prior to 2.10.3. Therefore, systems running versions below this are vulnerable to exploitation.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by uploading files with the

belongType

value containing a relative path, enabling them to manipulate files accessible to the Metersphere process.

Mitigation and Prevention

To prevent potential exploitation of CVE-2023-37461, users are advised to take immediate measures and adopt long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users should upgrade Metersphere to version 2.10.3 or later, where the vulnerability has been addressed and fixed. Upgrading is crucial to mitigate the risk of file manipulation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing secure coding practices, proper input validation, and regular security audits can enhance the overall security posture and prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Patching and Updates

Regularly applying security patches and updates provided by the software vendor is essential to ensure system resilience against known vulnerabilities.