CVE-2023-47121 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Discourse SSRF vulnerability in Embedding.

Understanding CVE-2023-47121

The CVE-2023-47121 vulnerability relates to a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) issue in the Embedding feature of Discourse, an open-source platform for community discussion.

What is CVE-2023-47121?

Discourse versions prior to 3.1.3 of the

stable

branch and 3.2.0.beta3 of the

beta

and

tests-passed

branches are vulnerable to SSRF due to the Embedding feature. This vulnerability is identified as CWE-918.

The Impact of CVE-2023-47121

The severity of CVE-2023-47121 is rated as LOW with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 3.4. Although the attack complexity is high, the confidentiality impact is low. The vulnerability requires user interaction to be exploited.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-47121

The SSRF vulnerability in Discourse's Embedding feature allows attackers to make arbitrary requests on behalf of the server, potentially leading to unauthorized access to internal systems or services.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from a lack of proper validation of user-supplied input in the Embedding functionality of Discourse.

Affected Systems and Versions

Discourse versions < 3.1.3 of the

stable

branch and >= 3.2.0.beta0, < 3.2.0.beta3 of the

beta

and

tests-passed

branches are affected by CVE-2023-47121.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious requests through the Embedding functionality to interact with internal resources.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2023-47121, it is essential to take immediate steps to secure affected systems and implement long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update to version 3.1.3 of the

stable

branch or version 3.2.0.beta3 of the

beta

and

tests-passed

branches as these versions contain patches for the SSRF vulnerability.
As a temporary workaround, consider disabling the Embedding feature if not essential.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update Discourse to the latest versions to ensure all security patches are applied promptly.
Educate users on safe practices to minimize the risk of SSRF attacks in community discussions.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories from Discourse and apply relevant patches promptly to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities.