CVE-2023-37463 : Security Advisory and Response
Learn about CVE-2023-37463, a vulnerability in GitHub's cmark-gfm leading to denial of service attacks due to quadratic complexity bugs. Mitigation steps and affected systems included.
This CVE involves quadratic complexity bugs that could potentially result in a denial of service attack. The vulnerability affects GitHub's cmark-gfm, an extended version of the C reference implementation of CommonMark, which is a rationalized version of Markdown syntax.
Understanding CVE-2023-37463
In this section, we will delve into the details of CVE-2023-37463 to understand its impact, technical aspects, and mitigation strategies.
What is CVE-2023-37463?
The vulnerability arises from three polynomial time complexity issues within cmark-gfm, leading to unbounded resource exhaustion and subsequent denial of service attacks. It has been addressed in version 0.29.0.gfm.12.
The Impact of CVE-2023-37463
The presence of these quadratic complexity bugs poses a high risk of uncontrolled resource consumption, potentially resulting in service disruption and impact on network availability.
Technical Details of CVE-2023-37463
Let's dive deeper into the technical details surrounding CVE-2023-37463.
Vulnerability Description
The vulnerability in cmark-gfm exposes systems to resource exhaustion, ultimately allowing threat actors to launch denial of service attacks.
Affected Systems and Versions
GitHub's cmark-gfm versions prior to 0.29.0.gfm.12 are vulnerable to this quadratic complexity issue that can result in a denial of service.
Exploitation Mechanism
The vulnerability's exploitation involves triggering the quadratic complexity bugs within cmark-gfm, leading to the consumption of excessive resources and service disruption.
Mitigation and Prevention
Understanding the necessary steps to mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2023-37463 is crucial for ensuring system security.
Immediate Steps to Take
Users are advised to update their cmark-gfm installations to version 0.29.0.gfm.12 or later to prevent exploitation of the quadratic complexity bugs.
Long-Term Security Practices
Implementing secure coding practices, conducting regular security audits, and staying updated on software patches are essential for long-term security.
Patching and Updates
Regularly monitoring for security advisories and promptly applying relevant patches and updates will help in safeguarding systems against vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-37463.