CVE-2023-26138 : Security Advisory and Response

This CVE record was assigned by Snyk on February 20, 2023, and was published on July 6, 2023. The vulnerability affects all versions of the package drogonframework/drogon and is related to CRLF Injection, with a base severity of MEDIUM.

Understanding CVE-2023-26138

This section will provide an overview of what CVE-2023-26138 entails, its impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies.

What is CVE-2023-26138?

CVE-2023-26138 refers to a CRLF Injection vulnerability in the package drogonframework/drogon. This vulnerability occurs when untrusted user input is used to set request headers in the addHeader function. It allows an attacker to inject additional headers by adding carriage return line feed characters to the request.

The Impact of CVE-2023-26138

The impact of this vulnerability is considered moderate, with a base severity rating of MEDIUM. An attacker exploiting this issue can manipulate headers in HTTP requests, potentially leading to various security threats like data theft, unauthorized access, or server-side request forgery.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-26138

This section delves into the technical aspects of the vulnerability, including its description, affected systems, versions, and exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in drogonframework/drogon allows for CRLF Injection, enabling attackers to modify HTTP headers by injecting carriage return line feed characters into the requests, leading to malicious activities.

Affected Systems and Versions

All versions of drogonframework/drogon are impacted by this vulnerability. Whether it is version 0 or any other version, if it falls under the package, it is susceptible to CRLF Injection when handling untrusted user input for setting request headers.

Exploitation Mechanism

To exploit CVE-2023-26138, attackers can manipulate the request headers by adding specific characters like carriage return line feed sequences to alter the request's content, potentially leading to header injection and subsequent attacks.

Mitigation and Prevention

This section outlines the necessary steps to mitigate the impact of CVE-2023-26138 and prevent such vulnerabilities in the future.

Immediate Steps to Take

Developers and users are advised to update their drogonframework/drogon package to a version that addresses the CRLF Injection vulnerability. Avoid using untrusted user input to set request headers directly to prevent exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement best practices for input validation and sanitization to ensure that user-provided data does not contain malicious content. Regular security audits and code reviews can help identify and address vulnerabilities early in the development process.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates and patches released by the package maintainers. Timely application of patches can help protect systems from known vulnerabilities and enhance overall security posture.