CVE-2023-29195 : What You Need to Know

A vulnerability has been identified in Vitess VTAdmin that allows users to create shards, consequently denying access to other functions.

Understanding CVE-2023-29195

This CVE affects Vitess, a database clustering system for horizontally scaling MySQL through generalized sharding. Users prior to version 16.0.2 can manipulate shard creation in VTAdmin, causing access denial to other functions within the system.

What is CVE-2023-29195?

Vitess users, before version 16.0.2, could create a shard with specific characters that disrupt the functionality of creating new shards and viewing keyspaces in VTAdmin, requiring specific workarounds and solutions for mitigation.

The Impact of CVE-2023-29195

The vulnerability impacts the accessibility and functionality of VTAdmin users, potentially leading to a denial of access to key system functions, affecting database operations and management.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-29195

Vulnerability Description Vitess users can create shards in VTAdmin that contain characters causing errors and hindering new shard creation and keyspace viewing. Version 16.0.2 provides a patch for this issue.

Affected Systems and Versions Vitess versions below 16.0.2 are affected, particularly impacting users utilizing VTAdmin for shard creation.

Exploitation Mechanism By creating shards with specific characters in VTAdmin, users inadvertently disrupt the shard creation process, leading to access denial to key functionalities.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take Always use

vtctldclient

for shard creation, disable shard creation from VTAdmin using RBAC, and delete the topology record for the problematic shard using the appropriate topology server client.

Long-Term Security Practices Regularly update Vitess to version 16.0.2 or later, follow best practices for secure database management, and enforce role-based access control for system administration.

Patching and Updates Ensure timely application of patches and updates provided by Vitess to address vulnerabilities and improve system security.