CVE-2019-14993 : Security Advisory and Response

Istio versions prior to 1.1.13 and 1.2.x before 1.2.4 are vulnerable to mishandling regular expressions for long URIs, potentially leading to denial of service attacks when using specific APIs.

Understanding CVE-2019-14993

This CVE highlights a vulnerability in Istio versions that could be exploited to cause denial of service.

What is CVE-2019-14993?

CVE-2019-14993 is a vulnerability in Istio versions before 1.1.13 and 1.2.x before 1.2.4 that mishandles regular expressions for lengthy URIs, potentially resulting in denial of service when using certain APIs.

The Impact of CVE-2019-14993

The vulnerability can be exploited to launch denial of service attacks when utilizing the JWT, VirtualService, HTTPAPISpecBinding, or QuotaSpecBinding API within affected Istio versions.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-14993

Istio's vulnerability to mishandling regular expressions for long URIs can have severe consequences.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises from Istio's incorrect handling of regular expressions for lengthy URIs, which can be abused to trigger denial of service attacks.

Affected Systems and Versions

Versions of Istio before 1.1.13 and 1.2.x before 1.2.4

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by crafting specific requests with lengthy URIs that trigger the mishandling of regular expressions, leading to denial of service.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2019-14993 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Istio to versions 1.1.13 or 1.2.4 or later to mitigate the vulnerability.
Monitor network traffic for any signs of exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch Istio to the latest versions to prevent known vulnerabilities.
Implement network security measures to detect and block malicious traffic.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches and updates provided by Istio promptly to address security vulnerabilities.