CVE-2018-20433 : Security Advisory and Response

CVE-2018-20433 was published on December 24, 2018, and involves an XXE vulnerability in the c3p0 library version 0.9.5.2. This vulnerability occurs during initialization in the method extractXmlConfigFromInputStream.

Understanding CVE-2018-20433

This CVE entry highlights a security issue in the c3p0 library version 0.9.5.2.

What is CVE-2018-20433?

The vulnerability allows for an XXE (XML External Entity) attack in the c3p0 library's initialization process.

The Impact of CVE-2018-20433

The vulnerability can be exploited to execute arbitrary XML code, potentially leading to sensitive data exposure or server compromise.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-20433

This section delves into the technical aspects of the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability exists in the method extractXmlConfigFromInputStream in the file com/mchange/v2/c3p0/cfg/C3P0ConfigXmlUtils.java of c3p0 version 0.9.5.2.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: c3p0
Vendor: N/A
Version: 0.9.5.2

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability during the initialization process to trigger the XXE attack.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2018-20433 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update c3p0 to a patched version that addresses the XXE vulnerability.
Implement strict input validation to prevent malicious XML input.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor for security advisories and updates related to c3p0.
Conduct security assessments to identify and mitigate similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches provided by the c3p0 library to fix the XXE vulnerability.