CVE-2023-37279 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

Faktory Web Dashboard can lead to denial of service(DOS) via malicious user input.

Understanding CVE-2023-37279

Faktory is a language-agnostic persistent background job server. This CVE highlights a vulnerability in Faktory's web dashboard version prior to 1.8.0 that can result in denial of service due to a crafted malicious URL query parameter.

What is CVE-2023-37279?

The vulnerability allows an attacker to exploit the

days

URL query parameter in the Faktory web dashboard backend, leading to a significant memory consumption issue that crashes the server, resulting in denial of service.

The Impact of CVE-2023-37279

The impact of this CVE is rated as HIGH with a base score of 7.5, signifying a severe threat to the availability of the affected system.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-37279

This section covers the specifics of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises due to the lack of validation on the

days

parameter input in the Faktory web dashboard, allowing an attacker to craft a malicious request that consumes excessive memory, leading to a denial of service scenario.

Affected Systems and Versions

The affected system is the Faktory web dashboard prior to version 1.8.0.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit the vulnerability by manipulating the

days

URL query parameter value with a large input, causing the server to consume excessive memory and eventually crash.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2023-37279, follow the mitigation and prevention measures outlined below.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update Faktory to version 1.8.0 or newer to mitigate the vulnerability and prevent denial of service attacks. Additionally, monitor server memory usage for any anomalous consumption.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement input validation mechanisms to ensure that user inputs, such as URL query parameters, are within expected limits to prevent memory consumption issues.

Patching and Updates

Regularly check for security advisories and updates from Faktory to stay informed about vulnerabilities and apply patches promptly.