CVE-2022-23457 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

This article provides detailed information about CVE-2022-23457, a path traversal vulnerability in ESAPI (The OWASP Enterprise Security API).

Understanding CVE-2022-23457

This CVE involves a path traversal vulnerability in the OWASP Enterprise Security API (ESAPI), allowing control-flow bypass checks to be defeated when an attack can specify the entire 'input' path.

What is CVE-2022-23457?

Prior to version 2.3.0.0 of ESAPI, the default implementation of

Validator.getValidDirectoryPath

may incorrectly treat the input string as a child of the specified parent directory, leading to path traversal vulnerabilities.

The Impact of CVE-2022-23457

This vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 7.5, with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact when exploited over a network with low privileges required.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-23457

The vulnerability is due to improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, known as 'Path Traversal' (CWE-22).

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in ESAPI allows attackers to manipulate directory paths, potentially accessing restricted directories and sensitive data.

Affected Systems and Versions

The affected product is OWASP ESAPI version 2.3.0.0, with custom versions less than 2.3.0.0 being vulnerable to path traversal attacks.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to bypass control-flow checks by specifying the entire input path, potentially accessing unauthorized directories.

Mitigation and Prevention

To mitigate the CVE-2022-23457 vulnerability, users are advised to take immediate steps and follow long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update to ESAPI version 2.3.0.0 to patch the vulnerability. As a temporary workaround, implementing a custom Validator interface is possible but not recommended by maintainers.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update ESAPI to the latest version, follow secure coding practices, and conduct security assessments to prevent path traversal vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Refer to the provided references for detailed information on the ESAPI patch release, security advisories, and related security alerts from Oracle and NetApp.