CVE-2019-5427 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

CVE-2019-5427, related to the c3p0 library, exposes a vulnerability to a billion laughs attack due to missing protections against recursive entity expansion in XML configuration loading.

Understanding CVE-2019-5427

This CVE entry highlights a security flaw in c3p0 versions prior to 0.9.5.4, leaving them susceptible to a specific type of attack.

What is CVE-2019-5427?

The risk in CVE-2019-5427 stems from the absence of safeguards against recursive entity expansion when loading XML configuration in c3p0 versions before 0.9.5.4.

The Impact of CVE-2019-5427

The vulnerability allows for a billion laughs attack, a type of denial-of-service attack that can exhaust system resources by recursively expanding entities in XML configuration files.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-5427

This section delves into the specifics of the vulnerability and its implications.

Vulnerability Description

The issue in c3p0 versions prior to 0.9.5.4 enables a billion laughs attack due to the lack of protection against recursive entity expansion during XML configuration loading.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: c3p0
Vendor: Not applicable
Versions Affected: Before 0.9.5.4

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious XML configuration files that trigger recursive entity expansion, overwhelming the system with excessive entity references.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2019-5427 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update c3p0 to version 0.9.5.4 or later to mitigate the vulnerability.
Implement input validation to detect and block malicious XML files.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor for security advisories and updates related to c3p0.
Conduct security assessments to identify and address vulnerabilities in XML processing.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches provided by the c3p0 project to address the vulnerability.