CVE-2023-45147 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

This article provides insights into CVE-2023-45147, discussing its impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies.

Understanding CVE-2023-45147

The vulnerability allows any user in Discourse to add arbitrary keys to a topic's custom fields, potentially exposing sensitive information to unauthorized actors.

What is CVE-2023-45147?

In affected versions of Discourse, any user can create a topic and add arbitrary custom fields, posing a risk based on installed plugins. The severity varies with plugin usage, with a patch available in the latest version.

The Impact of CVE-2023-45147

The vulnerability can lead to the exposure of sensitive information to unauthorized actors, impacting the confidentiality and integrity of data. The severity is influenced by the plugins and their interaction with topic custom fields.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-45147

The vulnerability is rated with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.9, categorized as medium severity. It has high attack complexity and network attack vector, requiring low privileges with no user interaction. The availability impact is none.

Vulnerability Description

Discourse, an open-source community platform, allows unauthorized users to manipulate topic custom fields, potentially exposing sensitive data. The impact depends on plugin usage and configurations within affected versions.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects Discourse versions <= 3.1.1 and beta versions <= 3.2.0.beta2. Users on these versions are at risk of data exposure due to the ability to add arbitrary keys to topics.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability allows any user to add custom fields to topics, potentially exposing sensitive information to unauthorized actors. The risk is mitigated by updating to patched versions or disabling plugins accessing topic custom fields.

Mitigation and Prevention

It is crucial to take immediate steps to safeguard the data and prevent unauthorized access through proactive security measures.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are strongly advised to update Discourse to version 3.1.1 for stable branches or 3.2.0.beta2 for beta branches to mitigate the vulnerability. Disabling plugins accessing topic custom fields can also reduce the risk.

Long-Term Security Practices

To ensure long-term security, users should regularly update Discourse to the latest versions, implement security best practices, and monitor for any potential vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Discourse has released patches addressing the vulnerability. Users are encouraged to promptly apply the updates to secure their systems and prevent unauthorized access.