CVE-2023-38346 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A security vulnerability has been discovered in Wind River VxWorks 6.9 and 7 that could potentially lead to unexpected behavior and directory traversal due to improper handling of file paths.

Understanding CVE-2023-38346

This section provides an overview of the CVE-2023-38346 vulnerability.

What is CVE-2023-38346?

The vulnerability exists in the 'tarExtract' function of Wind River VxWorks 6.9 and 7, which processes TAR file extraction with relative or absolute file paths. Developers using this function may encounter unexpected behavior related to directory traversal.

The Impact of CVE-2023-38346

Improper handling of file paths by the 'tarExtract' function can result in directory traversal, leading to unexpected behavior and potential security risks.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-38346

This section delves into the technical aspects of the CVE-2023-38346 vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises from the failure of the 'tarExtract' function to correctly handle leading slashes from absolute paths or stop processing when encountering relative paths outside the extraction path, potentially allowing for directory traversal.

Affected Systems and Versions

All versions of Wind River VxWorks 6.9 and 7 are affected by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers could exploit this vulnerability by crafting a malicious TAR archive containing files with manipulated file paths to achieve directory traversal and potentially execute arbitrary code.

Mitigation and Prevention

This section outlines steps to mitigate the CVE-2023-38346 vulnerability and prevent potential exploits.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to apply patches and updates released by Wind River to address the vulnerability. Additionally, cautious handling of TAR archives from untrusted sources is recommended.

Long-Term Security Practices

Developers should follow secure coding practices, validate input data, and implement proper file path handling to prevent directory traversal vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Regularly check for security advisories and updates from Wind River to stay protected against known vulnerabilities.