CVE-2023-26116 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This CVE record was published on March 30, 2023, and updated on May 22, 2023, by Snyk. It affects versions of the package "angular" from 1.2.21 and is related to Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) vulnerability.

Understanding CVE-2023-26116

This vulnerability in the angular package exposes systems to potential risks due to the insecure regular expression used in the angular.copy() utility function. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by providing a meticulously crafted input, leading to catastrophic backtracking.

What is CVE-2023-26116?

CVE-2023-26116 is a vulnerability in the angular package that allows for Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) attacks. It impacts versions starting from 1.2.21.

The Impact of CVE-2023-26116

The impact of this vulnerability lies in the ability for an attacker to manipulate inputs in a way that triggers excessive computation, potentially causing system downtime or unresponsiveness.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-26116

This vulnerability has a CVSSv3.1 base score of 5.3, categorizing it as a medium severity issue. The attack vector is through the network with low complexity and privileges required.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from the insecure regular expression within the angular.copy() utility function, making the system susceptible to ReDoS attacks.

Affected Systems and Versions

The CVE impacts versions of the angular package starting from 1.2.21, including variations like "org.webjars.bower:angular" and "org.webjars.npm:angular."

Exploitation Mechanism

By providing a carefully crafted input, an attacker can exploit the vulnerability, leading to catastrophic backtracking and potentially disrupting the system's availability.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2023-26116 and prevent potential exploitation, immediate steps and long-term security practices are recommended.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the affected angular packages to versions that contain patches addressing the ReDoS vulnerability.
Review and validate user inputs to prevent malicious input exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and update dependencies to ensure vulnerabilities are promptly addressed.
Implement security measures and validation checks in code to mitigate such vulnerabilities in the future.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories and updates related to the angular package to apply patches as soon as they are available, reducing the risk of exploitation.