CVE-2023-45669 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

WebAuthn4J Spring Security provides support for the Web Authentication specification in Spring applications. An improper signature counter value handling vulnerability has been identified in the

webauthn4j-spring-security

module.

Understanding CVE-2023-45669

This vulnerability, tracked as CWE-287 (Improper Authentication), has a CVSSv3.1 base score of 4.8 with medium severity. It affects versions prior to

0.9.1.RELEASE

.

What is CVE-2023-45669?

Affected versions of

webauthn4j-spring-security

fail to persist an incremented signature counter value during authentication, leading to an inability to detect cloned authenticators. This oversight enables an attacker who has cloned a valid authenticator to use it without detection.

The Impact of CVE-2023-45669

The improper handling of signature counters could result in unauthorized usage of cloned authenticators, compromising the security and authenticity of user interactions.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-45669

This section provides specific details about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

When an authenticator returns an incremented signature counter value during authentication, the affected module fails to properly persist this value, allowing cloned authenticators to evade detection.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects versions of

webauthn4j-spring-security

prior to

0.9.1.RELEASE

.

Exploitation Mechanism

An attacker with a cloned authenticator can exploit this flaw to impersonate a legitimate user without being detected, posing a serious security risk.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2023-45669, immediate action and long-term security practices are recommended.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are strongly advised to upgrade to version

0.9.1.RELEASE

or newer to mitigate the vulnerability. No known workarounds are available for this issue.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement strong access controls, regularly update software components, and monitor for any unauthorized activities or abnormal behavior.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories and updates from the

webauthn4j-spring-security

project to apply patches promptly and ensure the security of your applications.