CVE-2023-22481 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This CVE-2023-22481 pertains to a sensitive information exposure vulnerability found in the logs of the greader API in FreshRSS.

Understanding CVE-2023-22481

This vulnerability exposes sensitive information in the logs of the greader API in FreshRSS, potentially leading to unauthorized access to user credentials.

What is CVE-2023-22481?

FreshRSS, a self-hosted RSS feed aggregator, is affected by this vulnerability. When using the greader API, if the authentication fails, the provided password is logged in clear in the 'users//log_api.txt' file. This issue arises in the 'authorizationToUser()' function in 'greader.php'. If there is an issue with the request or credentials, the functions 'unauthorized()' or 'badRequest()' are called, both of which print the return of 'debugInfo()' in the logs. The 'debugInfo()' function returns the content of the request, saved in 'users//log_api.txt' by default and also in syslogs if the const 'COPY_LOG_TO_SYSLOG' is true. Exploitation of this vulnerability requires access to the logs created by FreshRSS, enabling a malicious actor to obtain users' API keys and passwords.

The Impact of CVE-2023-22481

The impact of this vulnerability is classified as medium severity. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4, with high confidentiality impact and high privileges required. The attack complexity is high, and user interaction is required for exploitation.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-22481

This section covers the technical details of the CVE-2023-22481 vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability results in the exposure of sensitive information, specifically users' API keys and passwords, in the logs of the greader API in FreshRSS.

Affected Systems and Versions

The affected system is FreshRSS, specifically the greader API. The vulnerability impacts FreshRSS versions greater than or equal to 1.9.0 and less than 1.21.0.

Exploitation Mechanism

Exploiting this vulnerability requires access to the logs generated by FreshRSS. By leveraging the information present in the logs, a malicious individual could extract users' API keys and passwords.

Mitigation and Prevention

Mitigation strategies to address CVE-2023-22481 are crucial to safeguard systems and user data.

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade FreshRSS to a version that includes the security patches addressing this vulnerability.
Monitor logs for any unauthorized access or suspicious activities.
Educate users about the importance of strong and unique passwords.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch software to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
Implement access controls to restrict log access to authorized personnel only.
Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing.

Patching and Updates

FreshRSS has released patches to address CVE-2023-22481. It is essential to promptly apply these patches to secure systems and prevent potential exploitation of this vulnerability.