CVE-2023-28842 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

This CVE involves an unauthenticated encrypted overlay network with a single endpoint in moby/moby's dockerd daemon.

Understanding CVE-2023-28842

This vulnerability affects the Moby open-source container framework developed by Docker Inc. It impacts the

dockerd

component, commonly known as Docker, and involves the

overlay

network driver, a core feature of Swarm Mode.

What is CVE-2023-28842?

The vulnerability allows for the injection of arbitrary Ethernet frames into encrypted overlay networks due to the acceptance of cleartext VXLAN datagrams tagged with the VNI of an encrypted overlay network.

The Impact of CVE-2023-28842

If exploited, this vulnerability can have serious consequences, potentially leading to unauthorized access and manipulation within the encrypted overlay network.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-28842

This vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.8, with a medium severity rating. It has a high attack complexity, affecting network-based attack vectors and integrity impact.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw in the encrypted overlay networks in moby/moby's dockerd daemon allows for the injection of arbitrary Ethernet frames, posing a security risk.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability impacts moby/moby versions ranging from >= 1.12.0 to < 20.10.24 and versions >= 23.0.0 to < 23.0.3. Users of these versions are at risk of exploitation.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit the vulnerability by injecting arbitrary Ethernet frames into encrypted overlay networks through the acceptance of cleartext VXLAN datagrams.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2023-28842, immediate steps should be taken to secure systems and prevent unauthorized access.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users should update to the patched versions, including Moby releases 23.0.3 and 20.10.24, or Mirantis Container Runtime's 20.10.16.
Implement workarounds such as deploying global 'pause' containers for each encrypted overlay network in multi-node clusters or avoiding overlay networks in single-node clusters.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and apply security patches promptly to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
Conduct routine security assessments and penetration testing to identify and address potential risks.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that systems running affected versions of moby/moby are updated to the patched versions to prevent exploitation of the vulnerability.