CVE-2022-31781 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Apache Tapestry up to version 5.8.1 is vulnerable to Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) due to the way it handles Content Types. This vulnerability, identified as GHSL-2022-022, could lead to catastrophic backtracking and exponential processing time. Learn more about the impact, technical details, and mitigation steps below.

Understanding CVE-2022-31781

This section provides insights into the nature and implications of CVE-2022-31781.

What is CVE-2022-31781?

CVE-2022-31781 exposes a vulnerability in Apache Tapestry versions up to 5.8.1 related to Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) caused by specially crafted Content Types. The issue lies in the handling of Content Types, specifically in the regular expression used by the org.apache.tapestry5.http.ContentType class. It's crucial to note that Apache Tapestry 5.8.2 addresses and fixes this vulnerability.

The Impact of CVE-2022-31781

The vulnerability could result in a significant impact due to the potential for catastrophic backtracking and exponential processing time. While the vulnerability cannot be triggered solely through web requests in Tapestry code, non-Tapestry codepaths accepting external input for the ContentType class constructor could exploit this flaw.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-31781

Delve deeper into the technical aspects of CVE-2022-31781 to understand the vulnerability better.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from the inefficient handling of Content Types by Apache Tapestry, leading to Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) scenarios, particularly when dealing with maliciously crafted inputs causing excessive processing time.

Affected Systems and Versions

Apache Tapestry versions up to 5.8.1 are confirmed to be affected, exposing all instances operating on these versions to the risk of ReDoS exploitation.

Exploitation Mechanism

Exploiting this vulnerability requires the provision of specially crafted Content Types to trigger catastrophic backtracking, resulting in extended processing times within the Apache Tapestry framework.

Mitigation and Prevention

Discover the necessary steps to mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2022-31781 and prevent potential exploitation.

Immediate Steps to Take

Immediate actions involve updating Apache Tapestry to version 5.8.2 or later to ensure the application is no longer susceptible to ReDoS attacks exploiting the ContentType class vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Incorporating secure coding practices, input validation mechanisms, and continuous monitoring can enhance the overall security posture of applications utilizing Apache Tapestry.

Patching and Updates

Regularly monitoring for security updates from the Apache Software Foundation and promptly applying patches to address any identified vulnerabilities is crucial in maintaining a secure software environment.