CVE-2023-33008 : Security Advisory and Response

Apache Johnzon is impacted by a Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability, potentially leading to a denial of service risk. This article provides insights into the vulnerability, its impact, technical details, and mitigation steps.

Understanding CVE-2023-33008

This section delves into the details of the CVE-2023-33008 vulnerability in Apache Johnzon.

What is CVE-2023-33008?

The CVE-2023-33008 vulnerability involves the deserialization of untrusted data in Apache Software Foundation's Apache Johnzon. An attacker can exploit this issue by crafting JSON input with large numbers, causing Apache Johnzon to deserialize them into BigDecimal, leading to a slow conversion process that poses a denial of service risk. The vulnerability affects Apache Johnzon versions up to 1.2.20.

The Impact of CVE-2023-33008

The impact of CVE-2023-33008 is significant as it exposes systems using Apache Johnzon to potential denial of service attacks. By exploiting the deserialization vulnerability, attackers can disrupt the normal functioning of the application or service, causing performance degradation.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-33008

This section provides a deeper dive into the technical aspects of CVE-2023-33008.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Apache Johnzon arises from inefficient internal conversion from BigDecimal at a large scale, allowing malicious actors to exploit JSON input with large numbers and disrupt system operation.

Affected Systems and Versions

Apache Johnzon versions up to 1.2.20 are affected by this vulnerability, exposing systems utilizing these versions to the risk of denial of service attacks.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit the CVE-2023-33008 vulnerability by crafting JSON input containing large numbers, triggering inefficient conversions to BigDecimal within Apache Johnzon.

Mitigation and Prevention

To safeguard systems from the CVE-2023-33008 vulnerability, immediate steps should be taken alongside long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update Apache Johnzon to version 1.2.21, which addresses the vulnerability by setting a scale limit of 1000 by default to the BigDecimal data type.

Long-Term Security Practices

In addition to applying the patch, organizations should adopt secure coding practices, perform regular security audits, and stay informed about potential vulnerabilities in their software stack.

Patching and Updates

Regularly check for software updates and security advisories from Apache Software Foundation to ensure that the latest patches are applied to mitigate known vulnerabilities.