CVE-2020-27839 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

A flaw was found in ceph-dashboard where the JSON Web Token (JWT) used for user authentication is stored in the browser's localStorage, making it vulnerable to XSS attacks. This vulnerability poses a significant risk to data confidentiality and integrity.

Understanding CVE-2020-27839

This CVE identifies a security issue in ceph-dashboard related to how user authentication tokens are managed.

What is CVE-2020-27839?

The vulnerability lies in the storage of JSON Web Tokens (JWT) in the browser's localStorage by the frontend application.
Attackers can exploit this vulnerability through XSS attacks, potentially compromising data confidentiality and integrity.

The Impact of CVE-2020-27839

The primary threat from this vulnerability is to the confidentiality and integrity of data stored and processed by ceph-dashboard.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-27839

This section provides more in-depth technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw in ceph-dashboard allows the JSON Web Token (JWT) to be stored insecurely in the browser's localStorage.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: ceph-dashboard
Versions: ceph-dashboard 14.2.17, ceph-dashboard 15.2.9

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability through Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks, gaining unauthorized access to the JWT stored in the browser.

Mitigation and Prevention

It is crucial to take immediate steps to address and prevent exploitation of this vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Avoid storing sensitive information in the browser's localStorage.
Implement proper input validation and output encoding to mitigate XSS attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update ceph-dashboard to the latest secure versions.
Educate users and developers on secure coding practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches provided by the vendor to fix the vulnerability and enhance the security of ceph-dashboard.