CVE-2023-45367 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

An issue was discovered in the CheckUser extension for MediaWiki before 1.35.12, 1.36.x through 1.39.x before 1.39.5, and 1.40.x before 1.40.1. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to cause a denial of service by storing an arbitrary number of rows in cu_useragent_clienthints.

Understanding CVE-2023-45367

This CVE pertains to a security flaw in the CheckUser extension of MediaWiki which allows an attacker to conduct a denial of service attack.

What is CVE-2023-45367?

CVE-2023-45367 is a vulnerability in versions of MediaWiki prior to 1.35.12, 1.36.x through 1.39.x before 1.39.5, and 1.40.x before 1.40.1. The issue arises due to improper handling of user input, leading to a denial of service condition.

The Impact of CVE-2023-45367

Exploitation of this vulnerability allows an attacker to disrupt the availability of the affected MediaWiki instance, potentially causing downtime and hindering legitimate users from accessing the service.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-45367

This section provides in-depth technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw allows an attacker to use a specific URL to inject an arbitrary number of rows into a specified database table, resulting in a denial of service condition.

Affected Systems and Versions

MediaWiki versions before 1.35.12, 1.36.x through 1.39.x before 1.39.5, and 1.40.x before 1.40.1 are impacted by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted requests to the target system, causing it to store excessive rows in the database.

Mitigation and Prevention

To protect systems from CVE-2023-45367, the following actions are recommended.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update MediaWiki to the latest patched version to mitigate the vulnerability.
Implement network controls to restrict access to vulnerable components.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and audit network traffic and system logs for any abnormal activities.
Educate users and administrators about security best practices to prevent successful attacks.

Patching and Updates

Keep systems up to date with the latest security patches and follow best practices to secure web applications.