CVE-2023-45142 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

A detailed analysis of CVE-2023-45142 involving a denial of service (DoS) vulnerability in OpenTelemetry-Go Contrib due to unbound cardinality metrics.

Understanding CVE-2023-45142

This section provides a deep dive into the vulnerability details and its potential impact.

What is CVE-2023-45142?

OpenTelemetry-Go Contrib, a collection of third-party packages for OpenTelemetry-Go, faces a DoS vulnerability in otelhttp due to unbound cardinality metrics. Attackers can exploit this flaw to exhaust server memory with malicious requests.

The Impact of CVE-2023-45142

The unbound cardinality metrics allow attackers to flood the server with random, long HTTP headers, leading to potential memory exhaustion. The vulnerability affects systems using otelhttp.NewHandler wrapper without filtering unknown HTTP methods or User agents.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-45142

Explore the specific aspects of the vulnerability, including its description, affected systems, and the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The handler wrapper automatically adds certain labels with unbound cardinality, making it vulnerable to memory exhaustion attacks. Version 0.44.0 addresses this issue by restricting attribute values and removing high cardinality attributes.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability impacts OpenTelemetry-Go Contrib versions prior to 0.44.0. Systems using otelhttp.NewHandler without proper filtering are at risk.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending malicious requests with randomized HTTP headers, overwhelming the server and causing denial of service.

Mitigation and Prevention

Discover the steps to mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2023-45142 and prevent potential exploits.

Immediate Steps to Take

Consider upgrading to version 0.44.0 of OpenTelemetry-Go Contrib to address the vulnerability. Implement proper filtering of HTTP methods and User agents to prevent memory exhaustion attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and libraries to patch security vulnerabilities promptly. Monitor and restrict high cardinality attributes to mitigate potential DoS risks.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates for OpenTelemetry-Go Contrib. Apply patches, utilize otelhttp.WithFilter() for additional protection, and configure the library to flag non-standard requests for better security.