CVE-2022-35931 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This article provides an overview of CVE-2022-35931, a vulnerability in Nextcloud Password Policy that affects certain versions of the software.

Understanding CVE-2022-35931

Nextcloud Password Policy's generated passwords are not fully validated by HIBPValidator, potentially resulting in the creation of weak passwords that the validator itself would block.

What is CVE-2022-35931?

The vulnerability in Nextcloud Password Policy allows the random password generator to occasionally produce common passwords that should be blocked by the validator. Users are advised to upgrade to specific versions to patch this issue.

The Impact of CVE-2022-35931

The impact of this vulnerability is rated as LOW. It requires high privileges to exploit and has low confidentiality and integrity impacts. The attack complexity is low as it can be exploited over the network without user interaction.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-35931

Vulnerability Description

Nextcloud Password Policy prior to versions 22.2.10, 23.0.7, and 24.0.3 may generate weak passwords that could be considered common and would ordinarily be blocked by the password validator.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected versions include Nextcloud Password Policy >= 24.0.0 and < 24.0.3, < 22.2.10, and >= 23.0.0 and < 23.0.7.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network without user interaction and requires high privileges to exploit.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

To address CVE-2022-35931, users should upgrade their Nextcloud Server to versions 22.2.10, 23.0.7, or 24.0.3 to receive the necessary patch for the Password Policy app.

Long-Term Security Practices

It is recommended to regularly update software and implement strong password policies to enhance security.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories and promptly apply patches released by Nextcloud to mitigate potential risks and maintain system security.