CVE-2019-16764 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

PowAssent, a product by pow-auth, is vulnerable to denial of service attacks due to the usage of

String.to_atom/1

in its code. This vulnerability can potentially overload the atom table, leading to application failure.

Understanding CVE-2019-16764

PowAssent is susceptible to denial of service attacks due to unsafe handling of user-provided data.

What is CVE-2019-16764?

The vulnerability in PowAssent arises from the use of

String.to_atom/1

, which can be exploited by attackers to cause denial of service attacks.

The Impact of CVE-2019-16764

CVSS Base Score: 6.5 (Medium Severity)
Attack Vector: Network
Availability Impact: High
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
Scope: Unchanged
This vulnerability can lead to application failure by overloading the atom table with user-provided data.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-16764

PowAssent vulnerability details and affected systems.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in PowAssent allows attackers to trigger denial of service attacks by overloading the atom table with user-provided data.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Product: pow_assent
Vendor: pow-auth
Vulnerable Versions: < 0.4.4

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit the vulnerability by manipulating user input to trigger the conversion of binary values to atoms, leading to resource exhaustion.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to mitigate and prevent exploitation of CVE-2019-16764.

Immediate Steps to Take

Implement a plug to validate user input before reaching PowAssent.Phoenix.AuthorizationController.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly review and update code to ensure safe handling of user input.
Educate developers on secure coding practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches provided by the vendor to address the vulnerability in PowAssent.