CVE-2022-28946 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Open Policy Agent v0.39.0 is affected by a vulnerability in the component ast/parser.go, leading to Denial of Service (DoS) due to incorrect interpretation of expressions.

Understanding CVE-2022-28946

This CVE-2022-28946 relates to a vulnerability in Open Policy Agent v0.39.0 that could potentially result in a DoS attack.

What is CVE-2022-28946?

The issue in the ast/parser.go component of Open Policy Agent v0.39.0 allows malicious actors to trigger out-of-range memory access by causing erroneous interpretation of every expression, consequently leading to a DoS attack.

The Impact of CVE-2022-28946

This vulnerability has the potential to disrupt the normal functioning of the application, rendering it inaccessible to legitimate users due to resource exhaustion caused by the DoS attack.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-28946

Here are the technical details regarding CVE-2022-28946:

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from the incorrect parsing and interpretation of expressions within Open Policy Agent v0.39.0, resulting in a DoS condition due to out-of-range memory access.

Affected Systems and Versions

Open Policy Agent v0.39.0 is the specific version affected by this vulnerability, impacting the application's security and stability.

Exploitation Mechanism

Malicious entities can exploit this vulnerability by crafting specially designed input that triggers memory access beyond the allocated boundaries, leading to a DoS situation.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2022-28946, consider implementing the following measures:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Open Policy Agent to a patched version that resolves the vulnerability.
Regularly monitor and audit the application for any unauthorized activities or unusual behavior that may indicate exploitation of the vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Follow secure coding practices to minimize the likelihood of similar vulnerabilities in the future.
Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify and address potential weaknesses.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates and patches released by the Open Policy Agent project to mitigate the risk associated with CVE-2022-28946.