CVE-2023-42794 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

Understanding CVE-2023-42794

This CVE-2023-42794 pertains to an Incomplete Cleanup vulnerability found in Apache Tomcat resulting in a potential denial of service on Windows.

What is CVE-2023-42794?

The issue lies in the internal fork of Commons FileUpload included with Apache Tomcat versions 9.0.70 through 9.0.80 and 8.5.85 through 8.5.93. A potential denial of service occurs if a web application fails to close the stream of an uploaded file, not deleting it from disk, leading to disk full denial of service.

The Impact of CVE-2023-42794

The vulnerability could allow attackers to exploit the accumulation of temporary files on Windows systems, eventually leading to a denial of service if the disk becomes full.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-42794

This section provides a deeper look into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

Incomplete Cleanup vulnerability in Apache Tomcat versions 9.0.70 through 9.0.80 and 8.5.85 through 8.5.93, allowing a potential denial of service on Windows systems.

Affected Systems and Versions

Apache Tomcat versions 9.0.70 through 9.0.80 and 8.5.85 through 8.5.93 are affected by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by failing to close the stream of an uploaded file on a web application, leading to an accumulation of temporary files on Windows systems.

Mitigation and Prevention

Learn how to protect your systems from CVE-2023-42794.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to upgrade to Apache Tomcat version 9.0.81 onwards or 8.5.94 onwards to mitigate this issue and prevent a denial of service attack.

Long-Term Security Practices

Establish regular security updates and monitoring to prevent and detect vulnerabilities in Apache Tomcat or any software used in your environment.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security patches and updates from Apache Software Foundation to ensure your systems are protected against known vulnerabilities.