CVE-2023-33958 : Security Advisory and Response

A vulnerability has been identified in notation CLI tool that could lead to an endless data attack when executing the

notation verify

command. This vulnerability affects versions of notation prior to v1.0.0-rc.6 and has a CVSS base score of 5.4.

Understanding CVE-2023-33958

The vulnerability in notation CLI tool poses a risk of denial of service when a malicious actor compromises a registry and adds a high number of signatures to an artifact.

What is CVE-2023-33958?

CVE-2023-33958 is a vulnerability in the

maxSignatureAttempts

feature of the

notation verify

command in notation CLI tool. This vulnerability could be exploited by an attacker to cause denial of service on the target machine.

The Impact of CVE-2023-33958

The impact of this vulnerability is rated as MEDIUM severity, with an attack complexity of LOW. While confidentiality impact is none, the availability and integrity impact are rated as LOW.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-33958

The vulnerability allows an attacker to trigger an endless data attack by adding a large number of signatures to an artifact, leading to a denial of service condition when users execute the

notation verify

command.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw in notation CLI tool allows unauthorized resource consumption, potentially causing a machine to become unresponsive when validating signatures.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability impacts versions of notation prior to v1.0.0-rc.6. Users with affected versions are at risk of denial of service attacks when verifying artifacts.

Exploitation Mechanism

By manipulating signature counts in an artifact, an attacker can exhaust system resources during the verification process, leading to a denial of service condition.

Mitigation and Prevention

To mitigate the risk associated with CVE-2023-33958, users are strongly recommended to update their notation packages to v1.0.0-rc.6 or above. Alternatively, restricting container registries to secure and trusted sources can help prevent potential attacks.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to upgrade their notation packages to v1.0.0-rc.6 to address the vulnerability and prevent exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing a robust security posture, regular software updates, and monitoring container registries for unauthorized activity can help prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Patching and Updates

The issue has been resolved in notation release v1.0.0-rc.6. Users should apply the necessary updates to ensure their systems are protected against this vulnerability.