CVE-2023-48218 : Security Advisory and Response

This article provides detailed information about CVE-2023-48218 related to the Strapi Protected Populate Plugin vulnerability.

Understanding CVE-2023-48218

This CVE involves a vulnerability in the Strapi Protected Populate Plugin that could allow unauthorized access to certain fields, affecting versions prior to 1.3.4.

What is CVE-2023-48218?

The Strapi Protected Populate Plugin, designed to protect

get

endpoints, had a security flaw where users could bypass field-level security restrictions. This allowed unauthorized access to certain fields even if users did not have proper permissions.

The Impact of CVE-2023-48218

The impact of this vulnerability is rated as MEDIUM based on the CVSS v3.1 score of 5.3. It could result in unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data with low confidentiality impact.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-48218

This section outlines the vulnerability description, affected systems, and the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

Prior to version 1.3.4 of the Strapi Protected Populate Plugin, users could populate fields they were not authorized to access, bypassing security measures.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects versions of the strapi-plugin-protected-populate plugin that are older than 1.3.4.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers could exploit this vulnerability by making requests with empty fields or selecting unpopulatable fields, leaking sensitive information.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2023-48218, users should take immediate steps, adopt long-term security practices, and apply necessary patches and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update to version 1.3.4 of the Strapi Protected Populate Plugin to mitigate the vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement strict access controls, regularly monitor and audit access to sensitive data, and educate users on safe data handling practices.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that your systems are up-to-date with the latest security patches and software updates to prevent vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-48218.