CVE-2023-29451 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A buffer overrun vulnerability in Zabbix can lead to a denial of service when processing specially crafted strings.

Understanding CVE-2023-29451

This CVE identifies a flaw in the JSON parser library of Zabbix, which can be exploited to crash the Zabbix Server or a Zabbix Proxy by sending malicious strings.

What is CVE-2023-29451?

The vulnerability in Zabbix triggered by specially crafted strings can result in a buffer overrun in the JSON parser library, leading to denial of service.

The Impact of CVE-2023-29451

Exploiting this vulnerability may cause a crash of the Zabbix Server or a Zabbix Proxy, affecting the availability of the services.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-29451

This section covers the specific technical details of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw in the JSON parser library of Zabbix allows attackers to trigger a buffer overrun by sending specially crafted strings, resulting in a denial of service.

Affected Systems and Versions

Versions 6.0, 6.2, 6.4, and 7.0.0alpha1 of Zabbix are affected by this vulnerability. The issue has been mitigated in later versions.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending malicious strings to the Zabbix Server or Proxy, triggering the buffer overrun in the JSON parser.

Mitigation and Prevention

To protect systems from this vulnerability, follow the mitigation and prevention measures outlined below.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Zabbix to a non-affected version, if available.
Implement network-level defenses to filter out potentially malicious traffic.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update Zabbix and other software components to patch known vulnerabilities.
Conduct security assessments and penetration testing to uncover potential weaknesses.

Patching and Updates

Ensure timely installation of security patches released by Zabbix to address this vulnerability.