CVE-2023-3251 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This CVE, assigned by Tenable, involves a pass-back vulnerability in the Nessus application. The vulnerability allows an authenticated remote attacker with administrator privileges to expose stored SMTP credentials within the Nessus application.

Understanding CVE-2023-3251

This section delves deeper into the nature and impact of CVE-2023-3251.

What is CVE-2023-3251?

The CVE-2023-3251 vulnerability is classified as a pass-back vulnerability in the Nessus application. Specifically, an attacker with administrator privileges can uncover stored SMTP credentials through this security flaw.

The Impact of CVE-2023-3251

The impact of CVE-2023-3251 is categorized under CAPEC-554 Functionality Bypass. This vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 4.1, indicating a medium severity level. It poses a risk to confidentiality, with low impact on confidentiality and no impact on integrity or availability.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-3251

This section provides technical details about the vulnerability, including its description, affected systems and versions, and exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The pass-back vulnerability allows an authenticated, remote attacker with administrator privileges to reveal stored SMTP credentials within the Nessus application. This issue affects versions of Nessus before 10.6.0.

Affected Systems and Versions

The affected platform for CVE-2023-3251 includes Windows, Linux, and MacOS. The vulnerability impacts installations of the Nessus application that are running versions below 10.6.0.

Exploitation Mechanism

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker needs to be authenticated and have administrator privileges within the Nessus application. With these credentials, the attacker can uncover sensitive SMTP information stored within the application.

Mitigation and Prevention

In response to CVE-2023-3251, immediate steps should be taken to secure affected systems and prevent potential exploitation.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update their Nessus installations to version 10.6.0 or newer. Tenable has released a patch to address this vulnerability. Users can obtain the necessary installation files from the Tenable Downloads Portal.

Long-Term Security Practices

To enhance overall security posture, organizations using Nessus should implement robust access controls, regularly audit administrator privileges, and monitor for unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Patching and Updates

Regularly applying security patches and updates is essential to mitigate the risk of similar vulnerabilities in the future. Organizations should stay informed about security advisories from Tenable and promptly apply recommended patches.

By following these mitigation strategies, organizations can improve the security of their systems and reduce the risk of exploitation through vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-3251.