CVE-2023-45370 : What You Need to Know

An issue was discovered in the SportsTeams 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. SportsTeams: Special:SportsManagerLogo and Special:SportsTeamsManagerLogo do not check for the sportsteamsmanager user right, allowing an attacker to manipulate pages related to sports teams.

Understanding CVE-2023-45370

This CVE highlights a security flaw in the SportsTeams extension of MediaWiki, potentially enabling unauthorized page modifications.

What is CVE-2023-45370?

CVE-2023-45370 exposes a vulnerability in the permission controls of the SportsTeams extension, facilitating unauthorized access to and alteration of sports team-related pages.

The Impact of CVE-2023-45370

The vulnerability can be exploited by malicious actors to tamper with information on sports team pages, leading to misinformation, reputational damage, or unauthorized content dissemination.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-45370

The following technical aspects define the CVE-2023-45370 vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue resides in the lack of permission validation for certain functionalities within the SportsTeams extension, allowing unauthorized users to modify sports team pages.

Affected Systems and Versions

All versions of MediaWiki before 1.35.12, 1.36.x through 1.39.x before 1.39.5, and 1.40.x before 1.40.1 are susceptible to this vulnerability when the SportsTeams extension is active.

Exploitation Mechanism

Exploitation involves leveraging the absence of proper permission checks on Special:SportsManagerLogo and Special:SportsTeamsManagerLogo, enabling attackers to manipulate sports-related content.

Mitigation and Prevention

To secure systems against CVE-2023-45370, it is crucial to implement the following mitigation strategies.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update MediaWiki to version 1.35.12, 1.39.5, or 1.40.1 to address the vulnerability.
Disable the SportsTeams extension if not essential for operations.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor user permissions and review extension functionalities for vulnerabilities.
Conduct security audits to identify and rectify potential access control issues.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security patches and updates released by MediaWiki, ensuring timely application to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities.