CVE-2023-40170 : What You Need to Know

A vulnerability, assigned the ID CVE-2023-40170, has been identified in the jupyter-server affecting versions prior to 2.7.2. This CVE relates to the cross-site inclusion (XSSI) of files in Jupyter Server, potentially leading to improper access control and missing authentication for critical functions.

Understanding CVE-2023-40170

This section provides insights into the nature of the vulnerability and its potential impact.

What is CVE-2023-40170?

The vulnerability involves improper cross-site credential checks on

/files/

URLs in Jupyter Server. Attackers could exploit this issue to expose certain file contents or access files when opening untrusted files via the "Open image in new tab" feature.

The Impact of CVE-2023-40170

The impact of this vulnerability includes the potential exposure of sensitive file contents due to improper access control mechanisms within Jupyter Server.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-40170

This section delves into the technical aspects of the vulnerability, including its description, affected systems, and exploitation mechanisms.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from insufficient cross-site credential checks on specific URLs, allowing unauthorized access to file contents within Jupyter Server.

Affected Systems and Versions

The jupyter-server versions prior to 2.7.2 are affected by this vulnerability, exposing users to potential risks associated with improper access control and missing authentication.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by manipulating URLs to access files improperly, potentially leading to unauthorized exposure of sensitive data.

Mitigation and Prevention

In this section, we discuss measures to mitigate the impact of CVE-2023-40170 and prevent potential exploitation.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are strongly advised to upgrade to jupyter-server version 2.7.2 or later to address this vulnerability and implement proper access controls.

Long-Term Security Practices

To enhance security posture, users should regularly update their software components, maintain secure configurations, and follow security best practices.

Patching and Updates

The issue has been resolved in commit

87a49272728

, included in release

2.7.2

. Users who are unable to upgrade should implement the lower performance option

--ContentsManager.files_handler_class=jupyter_server.files.handlers.FilesHandler

to enforce correct access checks in the interim.