CVE-2023-40588 : Security Advisory and Response
Discourse prior to versions 3.1.1 and 3.2.0.beta1 was vulnerable to a Denial of Service attack through manipulated 2FA or security key names. Update to patched versions recommended.
Discourse DoS via 2FA and Security Key Names
Understanding CVE-2023-40588
Discourse is an open-source discussion platform that was vulnerable to a Denial of Service (DoS) attack due to how it handled 2FA and security key names prior to the patch.
What is CVE-2023-40588?
CVE-2023-40588 refers to a vulnerability in Discourse where a malicious user could exploit 2FA or security key names to disrupt the service for other users. The vulnerability affected versions prior to 3.1.1 of the stable branch and 3.2.0.beta1 of the beta and tests-passed branches.
The Impact of CVE-2023-40588
The impact of CVE-2023-40588 was a Denial of Service (DoS) attack where a malicious user could disrupt the service for other users by adding a carefully crafted 2FA or security key name to their account.
Technical Details of CVE-2023-40588
Vulnerability Description
Prior to version 3.1.1 of the stable branch and version 3.2.0.beta1 of the beta and tests-passed branches, Discourse allowed a malicious user to exploit the 2FA or security key names, causing a DoS attack. The issue has been patched in the mentioned versions.
Affected Systems and Versions
The vulnerability impacted Discourse versions including 'stable < 3.1.1', 'beta < 3.2.0.beta1', and 'tests-passed < 3.2.0.beta1'.
Exploitation Mechanism
The exploitation involved carefully crafting 2FA or security key names by a malicious user to disrupt the service for other users.
Mitigation and Prevention
Immediate Steps to Take
Users are advised to update their Discourse installations to version 3.1.1 for the stable branch and 3.2.0.beta1 for beta and tests-passed branches to mitigate the CVE-2023-40588 vulnerability.
Long-Term Security Practices
To prevent similar vulnerabilities, it is essential to regularly update software and apply patches provided by the vendor in a timely manner.
Patching and Updates
The patch for CVE-2023-40588 is available in version 3.1.1 of the stable branch and version 3.2.0.beta1 of the beta and tests-passed branches.