CVE-2023-44402 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

Electron, an open-source framework for building cross-platform desktop applications, is affected by a vulnerability that allows integrity bypass via filetype confusion in electron. Learn more about the impact, technical details, and mitigation steps for CVE-2023-44402.

Understanding CVE-2023-44402

This vulnerability, identified as CVE-2023-44402, affects Electron framework and poses a significant risk to applications with specific configurations enabling certain fuses.

What is CVE-2023-44402?

CVE-2023-44402 allows an attacker to bypass integrity checks by exploiting a filetype confusion issue in Electron apps with specific fuses enabled, impacting macOS systems. This vulnerability can be exploited if the attacker has write access to the filesystem where the targeted app is launched from.

The Impact of CVE-2023-44402

The impact of CVE-2023-44402 is considered medium severity, with high integrity impact. It affects Electron versions ranging from < 22.3.24 to < 27.0.0-alpha.7, making a significant number of applications vulnerable to exploitation.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-44402

CVE-2023-44402 leverages insufficient verification of data authenticity (CWE-345) and allows attackers to compromise the integrity of Electron applications with specific configurations.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from a filetype confusion issue that enables attackers to bypass integrity validations in Electron apps with the

embeddedAsarIntegrityValidation

and

onlyLoadAppFromAsar

fuses enabled. macOS systems are particularly vulnerable as these fuses are currently supported only on macOS.

Affected Systems and Versions

Electron versions < 22.3.24, >= 23.0.0-alpha.1, and <= 27.0.0-alpha.7 are affected by CVE-2023-44402. It is crucial for Electron application developers to upgrade to a patched version to mitigate this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by launching an Electron app from a filesystem where they have write access, allowing them to edit files within the

.app

bundle on macOS.

Mitigation and Prevention

To safeguard against CVE-2023-44402, immediate actions must be taken to secure Electron applications and prevent potential exploitation.

Immediate Steps to Take

Developers are advised to update their Electron applications to versions that contain the necessary patches. Disabling the vulnerable fuses (

embeddedAsarIntegrityValidation

and

onlyLoadAppFromAsar

) is recommended.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing robust security practices and ensuring regular updates for Electron applications are essential to mitigate risks associated with vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-44402.

Patching and Updates

Regularly monitor security advisories and updates from Electron to stay informed about patches and fixes for vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-44402.