CVE-2023-42457 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

This article provides insights into CVE-2023-42457, impacting plone.rest due to Denial of Service vulnerabilities when the

++api++

traverser is overused.

Understanding CVE-2023-42457

CVE-2023-42457 is a vulnerability in plone.rest that allows Denial of Service attacks when the

++api++

traverser is used multiple times, affecting versions prior to 2.0.1 and 3.0.1.

What is CVE-2023-42457?

plone.rest, a package allowing the use of various HTTP verbs in Plone, experiences a significant performance impact when the

++api++

traverser is excessively utilized in a URL, resulting in resource exhaustion.

The Impact of CVE-2023-42457

The vulnerability can lead to a Denial of Service condition, making the server less responsive and potentially disrupting services for legitimate users. It affects versions prior to 2.0.1 and 3.0.1 of plone.rest.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-42457

CVE-2023-42457 manifests in the following ways:

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises in plone.rest versions before 2.0.1 and 3.0.1, causing a performance degradation when the

++api++

traverser is repeatedly invoked in a URL.

Affected Systems and Versions

plone.rest versions >= 2.0.0a1, < 2.0.1, and version = 3.0.0 are impacted by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

By crafting URLs with multiple occurrences of the

++api++

traverser, an attacker can exploit this vulnerability to exhaust server resources.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2023-42457, consider the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches available in

plone.rest

versions 2.0.1 and 3.0.1 to mitigate the vulnerability.
Implement a workaround by redirecting

/++api++/++api++

to

/++api++

in the frontend web server (nginx, Apache) until patches can be applied.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and update your software to ensure the latest security patches are applied promptly.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories and updates from the plone.rest community to protect your systems from potential vulnerabilities.