CVE-2023-43741 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A time-of-check-time-of-use race condition vulnerability in Buildkite Elastic CI for AWS versions prior to 6.7.1 and 5.22.5 allows the buildkite-agent user to bypass a symbolic link check for the PIPELINE_PATH variable in the fix-buildkite-agent-builds-permissions script.

Understanding CVE-2023-43741

This section will delve into the details of CVE-2023-43741 and its implications.

What is CVE-2023-43741?

CVE-2023-43741 is a time-of-check-time-of-use race condition vulnerability found in Buildkite Elastic CI for AWS versions preceding 6.7.1 and 5.22.5. It enables the buildkite-agent user to circumvent a symbolic link check in the fix-buildkite-agent-builds-permissions script.

The Impact of CVE-2023-43741

This vulnerability poses a security risk as it allows unauthorized access to bypass certain security mechanisms, potentially leading to unauthorized actions within the affected systems.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-43741

In this section, we will explore the technical specifics of CVE-2023-43741.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises due to a race condition that occurs when checking and using certain resources in the Buildkite Elastic CI for AWS environment.

Affected Systems and Versions

Buildkite Elastic CI for AWS versions prior to 6.7.1 and 5.22.5 are impacted by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

By exploiting this race condition flaw, an attacker can manipulate the PIPELINE_PATH variable to bypass necessary symbolic link checks.

Mitigation and Prevention

Here we discuss the steps to mitigate and prevent the exploitation of CVE-2023-43741.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update to version 6.7.1 or 5.22.5 of Buildkite Elastic CI for AWS to mitigate the vulnerability. Additionally, review and restrict user access permissions.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement secure coding practices, perform regular security audits, and educate users on secure coding principles to prevent similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Regularly check for updates and patches provided by Buildkite for their Elastic CI for AWS product to address any security vulnerabilities.