CVE-2023-41042 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

Discourse DoS via remote theme assets

Understanding CVE-2023-41042

This CVE involves a denial-of-service (DoS) vulnerability in Discourse related to remote theme assets.

What is CVE-2023-41042?

Discourse, an open-source discussion platform, is affected by a vulnerability that allows importing a remote theme to load assets into memory without resource limits. Versions prior to 3.1.1 for the

stable

branch and 3.2.0.beta1 for the

beta

and

tests-passed

branches are vulnerable.

The Impact of CVE-2023-41042

The impact of this vulnerability is rated as medium severity with a CVSS base score of 4.9. An attacker could exploit this issue to cause a DoS condition on an affected Discourse instance, leading to availability issues.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-41042

This section dives into the specifics of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability, tracked as CWE-770, arises from the lack of limits or throttling on resource allocation when importing remote theme assets in Discourse versions prior to 3.1.1 for the

stable

branch and 3.2.0.beta1 for the

beta

and

tests-passed

branches.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability impacts Discourse versions including stable < 3.1.1, beta < 3.2.0.beta1, and tests-passed < 3.2.0.beta1, leaving them susceptible to DoS attacks via remote theme asset loading.

Exploitation Mechanism

By importing a remote theme, threat actors can load excessive assets into memory, overwhelming the system resources and causing a denial-of-service condition on the affected Discourse instances.

Mitigation and Prevention

To safeguard systems from this vulnerability, it is crucial to take immediate steps and implement long-term security measures.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update to version 3.1.1 of the

stable

branch or 3.2.0.beta1 of the

beta

and

tests-passed

branches to apply the necessary security patches.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update Discourse to the latest versions to ensure all security patches are in place.
Monitor for any abnormal resource consumption that could indicate a DoS attack.

Patching and Updates

Ensure timely patching of Discourse instances to mitigate the risk of potential DoS attacks through remote theme assets.