CVE-2023-38492 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

Kirby is a content management system with a vulnerability in versions prior to 3.5.8.3, 3.6.6.3, 3.7.5.2, 3.8.4.1, and 3.9.6 affecting all Kirby sites with user accounts. The vulnerability allows attackers to exploit the authentication endpoint by providing a password of unlimited length, potentially causing denial of service.

Understanding CVE-2023-38492

This CVE highlights a denial of service vulnerability in the Kirby content management system due to unlimited password lengths.

What is CVE-2023-38492?

Kirby vulnerabilities in versions below 3.5.8.3, 3.6.6.3, 3.7.5.2, 3.8.4.1, and 3.9.6 allowed attackers to exploit the authentication endpoint by submitting passwords of excessive lengths, potentially leading to denial of service attacks.

The Impact of CVE-2023-38492

Despite having limited real-world impact due to existing brute force protection, the vulnerability could render the website unresponsive by exploiting the authentication system's lack of password length restriction. Upgrading to the patched versions is recommended due to the severity of other fixed vulnerabilities.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-38492

The vulnerability description, affected systems and versions, and exploitation mechanism are crucial to understand.

Vulnerability Description

Kirby's authentication endpoint lacked password length limits, enabling attackers to overload the server by supplying lengthy passwords beyond the server's capacity, potentially causing denial of service.

Affected Systems and Versions

The affected systems include Kirby versions prior to 3.5.8.3, 3.6.6.3, 3.7.5.2, 3.8.4.1, and 3.9.6, impacting all Kirby sites using user accounts.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers exploited the vulnerability by providing excessively long passwords, causing the server to exhaust resources in attempting to hash and verify these passwords, leading to unresponsiveness.

Mitigation and Prevention

Discover the immediate steps and long-term security measures to safeguard your systems.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Kirby to versions 3.5.8.3, 3.6.6.3, 3.7.5.2, 3.8.4.1, or 3.9.6 to implement password length restrictions and mitigate the denial of service risk.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch your systems, follow secure coding practices, and enforce strong password policies to enhance overall security.

Patching and Updates

Ensure timely installation of software patches and updates released by Kirby to address vulnerabilities and strengthen your system's security.