CVE-2023-26053 : Security Advisory and Response

This CVE, assigned by GitHub_M, was published on March 2, 2023, and involves a vulnerability in Gradle related to the usage of long IDs for PGP keys that opens the potential for collision attacks.

Understanding CVE-2023-26053

This vulnerability in Gradle, a build tool focused on build automation and multi-language development, poses a risk due to the inclusion of functionality from an untrusted control sphere.

What is CVE-2023-26053?

The vulnerability stems from Gradle's usage of long IDs (64bits) for PGP keys, making users of dependency verification in Gradle vulnerable if they use long IDs for PGP keys in specific elements of their dependency verification metadata file.

The Impact of CVE-2023-26053

The impact of this CVE is rated as medium severity, with high availability, confidentiality, and integrity impacts. It requires high privileges for exploitation and has a complex attack vector over a network.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-26053

This section outlines the specific details of the vulnerability in Gradle.

Vulnerability Description

This vulnerability results from a collision attack on long IDs for PGP keys in Gradle, potentially leading to unauthorized access and security breaches.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects Gradle versions >= 6.2 and < 6.9.4, as well as versions >= 7.0.0 and < 7.6.1.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by using long IDs for PGP keys in certain elements of the dependency verification metadata file, opening the door to collision attacks.

Mitigation and Prevention

To protect systems from CVE-2023-26053, certain steps need to be taken to mitigate the risks posed by this vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Gradle to version 8.0 or above to address the vulnerability.
For those unable to update to the latest version, applying the patches in Gradle 6.9.4 and 7.6.1 is recommended.
As a temporary workaround, ensure that only full fingerprint IDs are used for specific elements in the metadata file.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing secure coding practices, regularly updating dependencies, and conducting thorough security reviews can help prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Patching and Updates

Regularly monitor for security advisories and updates from Gradle to ensure that systems are protected against known vulnerabilities and that patches are applied promptly.